Peering In From the Outside
by LadyYuina
Summary: Unaware of a life beyond the prisonlike walls he calls a home, Yuki viewed people as outsiders who were merely looking in. His relationship with his tormentor was a mystery unto itself, but like any caged bird, he yearned to be free. AkitoxYuki
1. Chapter 1: Faith

**Peering In From the Outside (Fruits Basket) **

**Summary:** There were many counter-measures that he could have taken if he only had the will to fight. Yuki was no such person - weak at heart and gentle by nature - he unknowingly chained his tormentor to him by means even he couldn't understand. Their intricate web of tantalizing love and hate for one another would only stab so deep. Unaware of a life beyond the prison-like walls he called a home, Yuki viewed people as outsiders who were merely looking in.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: My very first Fruits Basket story, and I'm quite nervous as to how people will receive it. I'm not too sure where I'm leading this. You could say I wrote it on a whim, but I assure you I will try my best to make the story enjoyable. If you like it, please do tell; if you dislike it, please do tell as well. I'd like to know! XD

( ) Thoughts will be displayed surrounded by these.

Oh, I'm making Akito a guy as well. BL! Yay, yay, yay! Right? Hope everyone knows what BL stands for. It is also rated a big, fat "M" for sexual content, and extreme violence, so all you kiddies who cannot take in any of the mentioned things, then . . . Skedaddle! XD

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 1: Faith

A array of smells hit his nose all at once and he was forced to shun away in fear of getting distracted. Yuki was trying to prepare tea for his supposed companion, and he never did like it when he'd mess up. Looking up from his tea brewing, he noticed for one brief second that the sun was shining very strongly outside on the other end of the wall-like fortress. At least that was what he liked to think of it as. (What am I saying . . . The sun can't be different there than it is here.) Yuki was about to start stirring the tea again, but was stopped by a hand encasing itself around his own.

Yuki looked up to see who it belonged to. "Akito."

"You seem rather distracted, my pretty bird," he said in response.

My pretty bird: those were the words Akito chose to use when he felt like calling Yuki in an endearing way. It had long since been perceived as his second name akin to the many other titles Akito has bestowed upon him.

"Did you not want tea this afternoon?" Yuki asked, trying to appease his companion's insatiable need to touch him constantly. "If so, I'll throw the water out and put away the wares."

"No, no, my pretty bird, leave them here and come with me for a moment, won't you?" His one hand squeezed Yuki's possessively. It was a reminder to the ash-haired boy to know that he was with Akito, no one else. (It's time.) "You haven't forgotten why I wanted you to make tea in the first place, did you?" Yuki shook his head. "Good. Then you should remember why I want to see you in our special room, no?" Ashamedly, Yuki nodded his head.

(Am I nothing more than a toy to him?) He stood up fully only to have the top of his head reach the crown of Akito's nose; the other boy was a good two inches taller than him, and not to mention far more stronger in physical strength. Therefore, if he were to struggle, he would only end up getting punished. (It replays itself in my mind over and over again.)

"Do not tremble so . . . You know I dislike it when you cower." Akito waited for Yuki to nod in condolence. (It is about time. Oh, how I've waited till now!)

Their footsteps hardly made a sound as they started to walk down a narrow strip of hallway together. Yuki's breathing hitched in his throat when Akito leaned in close to nip at his left ear lightly - he could already tell that the raven-haired boy was growing impatient the more he had to stall. The sun was definitely brighter on the other side of the wall; Yuki was sure of it now, he needn't know that everything he's been through could be a farce - it all seemed too real to be a dream. In repetition and through time's constraints, he was bared to Akito alone.

Upon reaching the designated room's door, Yuki felt like hesitating. "Wait . . . Before we go in . . . can I go put on the scent that you're so fond of?" Akito actually smiled at what he said - this in turn, only made the ash-haired boy cringe. "I simply thought that it'd help alleviate the strain from your brows," Yuki, unsure of how to initiate, timidly pecked Akito on the cheek, "because you're always frowning when I see you from a nearby window."

"Quite the observer, are you not?" Akito said, a smirk spraying over his cherry-red lips. "Go then, I'll wait for you inside."

"All right." (He loves me, right? I'm sure he does . . . In his own twisted way, I'm sure that somewhere in his heart, he cares.)

* * *

A jumpy blonde-haired boy zoomed from one end of the yard to the other - he was excited that he was going outside today with the others. On occasions when Akito was feeling a little better he would let them all pool out of the fortress to the outside world. Yet, on such rare getaways did Yuki stay behind - he always declined to leave when it was deemed to be all right to do so. A forlorn look would cloud his eyes as he'd smile and shake his head without uttering a single word. The blonde thought it a bit strange, but he never worked up the courage to ask what was bothering the lonely soul.

"Hey, Momiji, hurry up before Kisa and I leave you behind," a brunette-haired boy said from beside the large gate used to confine them inside.

Pouting, the blonde shouted back, "no, don't leave me behind! I'm coming!"

The boy who had shouted merely rolled his eyes as he stood beside Kisa. She looked past Momiji towards the small patio she normally saw Yuki sitting on; today, he was not there. Despite what everyone thought of her, she was very keen on figuring things out that at times, that the others did not know about till much later. In a way, she was considered a physic by Momiji and was sometimes asked to predict things for him. Momiji knew it was a silly thing to ask of her to do, but she knew it was all for fun and games because that was how the blonde liked to have fun.

"Hiro, have you seen Yuki at all today?" she asked of him.

"No. Did you need him for something?" One of his eyebrows arched up questioningly. She usually didn't ask about Yuki - it was even more rare that she'd ask of him when they were about to leave for the day.

"I was just asking." Her eyes lingered on the patio a little while longer until Momiji caught up to them, huffing and puffing the whole while.

"Shall we go?" Momiji offered an arm to Hiro and Kisa.

Hiro looked at him as if he were stupid. "Are you seriously thinking I'm going to take that arm of yours?" Momiji nodded while smiling cheekily. "Heh, in that case, dream on."

"Awwwwwww, Hiro," Momiji went into whiny mode, "do you have to be so cold to me all the time? We're practically brothers so come on, come on, come on! Pleaaaaassseeeeee!" Kisa took his offered arm. "See? Kisa doesn't mind."

(He's insufferable . . .) Begrudgingly, he took Momiji's remaining arm with a "hmph" tittering on the edge of his lips. Kisa frowned at him, but he paid her no mind - not this time anyway. Momiji, like the bubbly person that he was, did not care that Hiro was being ill-tempered about it as long as their arms were linked as one.

"So, where do you guys want to go today?" Hiro glanced around him to see that the others had already dispersed onto their own separate ways. "And don't say to an ice cream parlor, Momiji," the blonde visibly shook with disappointment, "it's because of you that Kisa had a stomachache the other time."

"Hummmm, I didn't mean to do that to her," Momiji interjected. "It was an accident."

"How about we hang out at the park today then." Kisa wanted to stop the arguing between the two boys. "We haven't gone there in a while now. Wouldn't it be nice to swing on the swings again, Momiji, Hiro?"

"Yaaaayyyyyy! Swings!"

Hiro shrugged. "I guess so."

As long as Kisa asked for something, Hiro was more than willing to comply to it as long as it was not out of the norm.

* * *

Akito was toying with the hem of his dark-blue yukata when Yuki stepped in and closed the screened door behind him. He breathed in deeply, obviously liking the fragrant smell of the pear fruit. With the same hand that was toying with his yukata a moment ago, he used that hand to usher Yuki towards him. Before the ash-haired boy could completely seat himself down on the futon, Akito yanked him by an arm and was on top of him before Yuki realized what had happened. Soft, wet kisses were planted along the right side of his neck.

"You're so enticingly beautiful today, Yuki," Akito purred. "I could mount you now."

"No, not so quickly . . ." Yuki pleaded. It always hurt when Akito did not prepare him first - it had happened in a few instances, but Yuki did not want to have to feel the searing pain afterwards. The other boy was never quite gentle, yet, neither was he so harsh that Yuki would not be able to walk properly after the ordeal.

Their lips locked when Akito moved his head back up. Yuki automatically opened his mouth for the other man's leeway; their tongues met and the ash-haired boy swore Akito tasted of candied apples for some reason. While they were kissing Yuki could feel Akito's right hand sneak up through the open slit in his yukata up to his creamy white thighs. His hand stopped directly beside his manhood - it made Yuki sputter for a moment and their mouths unlocked.

"My pretty bird," Akito began, "be still or I will make it hurt immensely."

(We've done this countless times, and still, I am afraid of his touch.) "I'll try."

"Do not say that, say that you understand," Akito growled.

"I-I understand . . ."

"Good boy."

Yuki moaned when his manhood was grabbed with cold, unfeeling fingers. A light blush came to his cheeks as he tried not to moan again when it was being squeezed. Akito knew all about his body - he knew the areas where he was most sensitive and the areas where he was most unwilling to fork over - indeed, Akito knew all about him. A thin film of sweat was already forming on his forehead and body merely by the sensations he was feeling in the nether legions between his legs. Akito was quick and precise when it came to love-making, so he wasted no time in applying the lube onto his anticipatory right hand. One finger was slipped inside of Yuki.

"Ah, ah . . . already?" he asked through gasps as another finger was inserted. There was no teasing this time - Akito was aiming for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

"Shut up and kiss me." The reason Akito said this was because within the next few seconds he withdrew his fingers and in place of them poked in his penis. The burning pain ripping through Yuki's bottom was quite unbearable, but the raven-haired boy did not let his lips unlock from his to let him give out a loud moan of discomfort. When they did break free from one another, Akito was fully snug inside of him. "You feel really good today."

Yuki was utterly at a loss for Akito's confusing sexual remarks. It was intentionally his own language in his own little world when they were together like this; Akito was one with few words when this stage of the courtship began. In all extremities, he once said something very endearing that has stuck to Yuki ever since, although he wouldn't dare ask Akito to say it again.

It began. Akito started to thrust against Yuki, softly at first, but after the first few he started to find it hard to contain himself and sped up the pace. A soft yelp would escape from the ash-haired boy's lips when Akito pushed forward deeply, sending him sliding across the futon and back down when he pulled out almost to the tip. It was a pleasurable feeling, Yuki had to admit, but he convinced himself that he loved this boy so it was all right to say that being loved was all about the sex. Akito never did say that it was, but Yuki couldn't think of it any other way because when they were not in bed together, Akito was a hard block of ice staring him down.

Leaning down low towards Yuki's belly, Akito made sure to let his weeping penis know that it was not being neglected nor left out of the fun. The rubbing of their stomachs caused a friction for Yuki's penis and it did not take long before he cummed, spraying his own chest with his own semen. Even though Yuki felt spent, Akito was by no means close to coming to a closure - as a matter of fact, he had a lot more pumping to do before he was ready to let it all out.

Yuki laid there silently as Akito continued to work his body. Vaguely, from the small slit through the screened door, he could see the sun shining brightly outside, letting everyone else bask in its faith except for him.

Chapter 1: END


	2. Chapter 2: Loneliness

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.**

**A/N: Thank you, Loretta**, **Ama**, **Kumiko**, and **Kakki **for reviewing! It was thanks to you four that I had the confidence to type up chapter two! XD Please, please, please keep reading and reviewing if you'd like updates from me or else this will probably go down the drain. (If I left this untouched I would have deleted it after some time . . . Because I don't like leaving up stories that I will not complete XD) With that much said and out of my hair - here is the next chapter. =D

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 2: Loneliness

"Hiro, aren't you going to swing with us?" The boy being addressed crossed his arms and merely looked away. "Hiro, don't be like that."

"Momiji, if I don't want to swing, then I won't swing, got it?" he replied. He let his eyes wander around the park to gaze briefly at all the other children that were prancing about. A girl was jumping rope with her friends; a boy was climbing the monkey bars with a frantic mother looking at him from below; a toddler who looked no older than three years of age was going down the side with her older sibling - everyone looked like they were having so much fun. "Kisa, are you almost done?"

"If Momiji doesn't want to leave yet . . ."

"I wanna swing some more!" was the sudden outburst from the ditzy blonde.

(He is such a freaking idiot . . . The things I would do if I could only pound his head into the ground as a good beating for being so lame.) "If Kisa is getting tired, I really think that we should head back." From the frown on Momiji's face, Hiro knew that he was not about to give in to the idea of returning to the main house so soon when they were rarely let out in the first place. "Stop being such a blockhead."

"I am not being a blockhead. Do you have to be so mean to me?"

"You're three years my senior, and one year older than Kisa . . ." Hiro raised an eyebrow at the clueless blonde, " . . . so shouldn't you be the more responsible person among the three of us?" He noted that Kisa stopped swinging and she gave him a subtle look of anger mixed in with something else that he couldn't define for all that it was worth. "Shouldn't you behave your age? Shouldn't you be hanging out with kids your own age group, instead of with Kisa and me all the time? And why the hell are you so damn happy like that's the only emotion you possess? What is there to be happy about, huh?"

"Hiro, that's enough." Kisa spoke up just in time because it looked like Momiji was about ready to bawl. "You needn't go that far. Keeping up a positive attitude can do wonders for a person - even for me."

"Even you?" (Since when did Kisa start talking like this?) She nodded and then went to Momiji's side when he started to cry after registering everything Hiro had fired at him. "Hmph," he was trying to hide his disappointment with a snotty front, "I guess I'll head back to the main house myself if the both of you want to frolic around for a little while longer."

Even from a distance he could hear Momiji saying things like, "why does he have to be so mean to me, Kisa? What did I ever do to get him mad? Why does he blame everything on me?"

(Momiji, you're the worse compared to me . . . Far more worse . . .)

"I'm sure he doesn't mean to be like that on purpose," Kisa said. She glanced up at the retreating form of the bitter boy. "It's just that he's going through some tough times."

"But, still . . ." Large pools of tears were continuously falling from Momiji's eyes. "Still, Kisa . . ."

"No matter what he says I'll still hang out with you all you want, okay?" He nodded gingerly, looking quite uncertain about her decision. "Don't let what Hiro said bother you, because we can be at any age and still be best friends. Remember that, all right?" He nodded again. "I want to hear it."

"A-all right . . ."

Kisa smiled, and said, "a little louder. I couldn't hear you."

"A-all right!"

"No stuttering, come on, you can do it." Some of the other children looked their way - Kisa almost appeared to be a mother trying to console her (rather large) child back to cheeriness. "A tad bit louder, Momiji."

"All right!"

(That's the Momiji I'm used to.) "Much better." Momiji smiled and nodded his head. "If you don't want to go back yet, we can go somewhere else if you like. The ice cream parlor wouldn't be such a bad idea, and I promise I won't get a stomachache this time."

"Stomachaches happen when they happen - you can't control that," Momiji told her.

"If I do get one I simply won't let Hiro know."

"That's no good. If he does find out he'll get mad at me."

"I want to go to the ice cream parlor; if you don't want to come you don't have to."

"No, no, I wanna come! I love ice cream!"

* * *

Hiro spotted Yuki sitting on his usual spot on the patio, which visible from the entrance, when he entered through the main gates of the Souma mansion. Yuki glanced over at him when he saw him, but he said nothing as Hiro walked on by - he seemed to be really occupied by something floating around in his head. Hiro didn't get very far until he ran into Hatori, the personal doctor of Akito and the other Soumas' that resided in this mansion.

"You've come back early," Hatori said. Hatori, on the other hand, never went out very long because Akito was always in constant need of his attention.

"I feel kind of tired so I decided to come back, that's all," Hiro lied.

"Are you not feeling well?" Hatori made a motion to feel Hiro's forehead, but he pulled back before the doctor could touch him. "Well, if you are tired I suggest you get some rest inside your room."

"Yeah, I know."

Hatori was a man of resolute indifference, and it was not in Hiro's place to say anything unjust to this man. In any case, one might say that Hiro was rather intimidated by Hatori, although he was never going to admit that to anyone - not even to Kisa - whom he gave his trust to the most, but there were some things that were better kept to oneself. Hiro couldn't really describe the doctor as well as he liked; there was a definite feeling he always felt when he was in the presence of that man, though, and the feeling was not of intimidation like he first thought it was, but he had come to realize that he actually admired him above all else. It came to him as a surprise at first, yet when time drawled on he came to appreciate what he was feeling - it left him with the afterthoughts of looking up to someone that was unbiased about several things . . . unlike him.

"If you will excuse me, Akito needs his usual medication."

Hiro nodded without saying a word. (Akito and his medication. Is he so sick that he can never see the light of day on the other side of this god forsaken wall? How pitiful.) Shaking his head to dispel such mortifying thoughts of the Soumas' head leader, he made his way to his room and closed the screened door silently behind him. He breathed much easier whenever he was inside here in the relative safety of his own smells, belongings, and sights. This room defined him so to speak. Still, a fleck of loneliness was beckoning him to his bedside window where he looked out of to see the tip of Yuki's head from the patio he saw him sitting on earlier. (I wonder why he never leaves this place when everyone else does? Why does he decide to stay behind?)

"Ah, who cares . . . Yuki shouldn't concern me . . . His problems and mine are totally unrelated . . ." Hiro sighed and closed the shutters to his window, thus making the room eerily dark. He didn't mind though - the dark was a welcoming change to the daylight shining so brightly outside. "Momiji will never understand the way I feel with the way he's always not noticing anything significant about other people." For this last part he shouted it out. "I envy Momiji! Sometimes I wish he'd disappear!"

"Now, now, Hiro, you shouldn't talk about him like that."

"Yuki?" (Since when did he leave the patio?)

The screened door to his room slid open. Yuki poked his head in and wanly smiled when he noticed the close shutters of the window - they brought back a painful memory of his early days as a child. "Maybe he's not understanding you because you never tell him what's wrong whenever he asks you. Did you not give it much thought when he asks you that?"

"Well, no . . ." (What's it to him, anyway, he never seems to have anything to worry about like the rest of us. He doesn't understand the meaning of loneliness like Kisa and I do.)

"May I come in?" Yuki did not like intruding on people's space, but as he was about to walk by Hiro's room he was surprised to hear his voice from the other side of the screened door. "That's if you don't mind . . . Can we talk a little?"

"Sure, come on in." When Yuki was inside and seated beside him, he asked a question the gray-haired boy was most uncomfortable in answering, "say, how come you never leave the mansion when it's okay to?"

"Ah, well, I can't stand too much sunlight so I prefer to stay indoors most of the time. Besides, Akito would be lonely if he has no one here with him when everyone goes out for the day; even Hatori leaves for a while before coming back. It must be hard on Akito to have no one around during those times so I've decided to stay with him on such occasions as these . . ."

"I see."

"Hatori is with him now so I was relieved of the duty."

"I saw you sitting on the patio out front - you looked like your head were in the clouds." Yuki gaped for a second, but said nothing. "But whatever was on your mind, you needn't tell me if you don't want to. I'm not the type to pry into other people's business when I don't have a grudge against them."

Yuki sweat dropped. "Does that exclude Momiji as well?"

"I gave that some thought and I said to myself, 'nope'."

(Oh, boy . . .) "In any case, why did you close your window shutters? Today is a really beautiful day."

"I've seen enough daylight for one day - if you wanna see it so much you can go out there yourself, you know."

"I . . . I suppose . . ." Yuki gulped when Hiro was staring at him funny. It made him feel rather nervous when the boy was like this. "I think I should get going." Yuki quickly got up and left the room.

(Hmmm, Yuki seems more subdued than usual . . .)

Out on the corridor Yuki was glad that he got out of that suffocating room - the closed shutters of the window almost made him hyperventilate if he had stayed in there any longer. Cold sweat broke out across his face at the mere mention of his isolation - his loneliness - he was fragile and partially broken because of him. Everything was better on the other side; he was caged for so long he did not know the true meaning of a beautiful day no matter how he liked to think he did. In all appearances to seem normal to the other Soumas , he simply said something any normal person might say to another equally normal person . . .

"In days of unrelenting pain, when your wrath came down upon me again and again. Till the days of woe long passed by me; I laid there, still as a doll, merely for the enjoyment of another. "My pretty bird," you would say, "don't shy away. My pretty bird, not all has faded from the day." Uncoiling like unkempt string, epitome of pain, unheard of sorrow, unfazed of the night, a barren, hollow shell was consumed."

Yuki didn't know why he recited that to himself - it brought back vivid reminders of the dark and everything else he tried to forget, but could not. (Not letting myself forget will make me stronger in the long run.) His undying fear of Akito was probably never going to leave him, yet he felt like he could make some difference if he remembered what he'd done to him.

Chapter 2: END


	3. Chapter 3: Circumstance

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 3: Circumstance

By the time all of the Soumas returned it was well into the night and the moon was high in the sky. Rin and Hatsuharu were the last to return, as usual. Yuki watched them all come filing in between different periods of the evening, and he could only wonder what each one of them saw out there on the other side. From his seated position upon his favorite patio overlooking the gate, his violet gaze tried to glance past what he could not see. For an instant he felt a twinge of jealousy course through his aching heart - being confined here was one thing, but adding envy topped it off into other matters that he wished not to deal with.

(Is it so strange to want to be out there? Why won't Akito let me?)

Ever since he was a small child he was usually confined to the house whenever his mother and father where home, yet, even with their absence he was still not let outside. His brother, Ayame, was a lot luckier because he was older and did not have a weak constitution such as him, and it was due to his fragility that they were kept separate from one another. Sometimes, Yuki wished with all his heart that he was allowed to see his brother, but time and time again, whenever he asked there always came the same reply:

"Ayame does not wish to see you, and neither should you bother to want to see him."

That was right - Ayame did not want to see his little brother. He wanted this barrier between them for the sole purpose of remaining their mother and father's favorite son; their only beloved son. Yuki felt his insides rot from turmoil and disgust . . . It was hardly just to say anyone from his family loved him . . . It almost seemed like no one cared about the impudent child, or so he was called.

During his early years at the age of six, he heard such startling news that he almost anticipated the day they were to meet one another. It sounded like a dream come true to this desperate, lonely child.

"Yes, that's correct," a woman's hand lifted a stamp and pushed it down onto a red-colored stamp pad, "he is going to stay there." With delicate ease, she lowered the imprint and sealed the boy's fate forever. "He's of no use here, so if he can make a difference for that child, then it'd be best if he goes."

A man with a fat, pudgy stomach smiled from ear to ear and nodded. "Indeed. Akito will be thrilled now, wouldn't he?" He appeared to have turned to the side to look at someone Yuki could not get a glimpse of.

He heard a feminine voice say, "of course." The flaps of her kimono moved slightly from what the gray-haired child could see. "He's dying to meet this Yuki boy you speak so callously of." Yuki did not know what that word meant, but he was definitely thinking it wasn't something bad. "When shall the date for his arrival be arranged?"

The woman who was previously holding the stamp seemingly laughed. "As soon as you'd like. Pick any day and any time."

Now it was the fat man's turn to bellow a hearty laugh. "Ahahahaha, you're as lenient as ever, I see! Marika, when would you like the date to be? I'll let you choose."

"All right. How about today later this evening?"

"That is fine," the woman with the stamp replied. "Later this evening it is. I will go send for someone to tell him to get ready."

That was all Yuki needed to hear. He was getting out of his hell hole he called a home where he couldn't even interact normally with his parents and brother; he was looking forward to meeting the person called Akito; he was filled with the dream of being more free than he had ever been in his existence.

Yuki became distantly annoyed from the sheer memory of it all - he didn't come to a paradise he wanted to have so badly. His eyes flicked to his right when he saw Hatori seat himself down beside him, a stern look was evident on his features. For some peculiar reason, Yuki knew something was not correct as is.

"He's quite upset, Yuki," Hatori suddenly said.

"I don't understand," Yuki began to say, "why he would be upset?" Akito was well known for throwing tantrums, but there were always reasons behind his actions regardless of how bizarre it may have all seemed. "Was he not satisfied . . .?"

"Quite the opposite."

"What?" Yuki was confused.

"I'd rather not say out here," Hatori looked up at the moon briefly before fixating his gaze on the gray-haired boy once more, "but it has something to do with you and Kyo." Yuki tensed at the mention of the deranged red-head's name; Kyo had long left the vicinity of Akito's reach, but it came at a cost - Yuki didn't know what it was, but he was deathly afraid of finding out. "I fear that Akito has reached his limitations this time."

"Will medication not help?" Hatori noted the boy sounded a tad bit anxious. "The way you say it, you make it sound like it's to the extreme . . ."

"I've yet to explain to you the real circumstance, but I will not say it out here on this patio." Hatori stood up and started to walk away. For some reason, Yuki did not feel like following the doctor, instead, he remained where he was while Hatori's retreating form got farther and farther away from him.

"I should follow him, but I don't want to," Yuki whispered. "Whatever the circumstance may be, let it sift by me unknown."

* * *

By the time a maid reached his sleeping quarters, she already found an excited Yuki packing his belongings in a suitcase he kept under his bed. It was never put to use till now. She watched him by his bedroom doorway for a moment before stepping inside to help him sort through his belongings.

"So you heard, huh?" she said. Yuki nodded. "You poor thing . . ." Yuki was not understanding why she'd feel sorry for him when he was feeling absolutely thrilled at the idea, ". . . Ayame is going to miss you terribly. Once he hears of this he will cry for days . . . It's not like him to do so, though; not with your mother around him all the time."

Yuki wasn't listening to the part about Ayame crying for him; he paid attention only to the part of where their mother only clung to Ayame, and never him - he felt ashamed when hot tears started to roll down his rosy cheeks. The maid noticed his distress because she calmly placed a hand on his shoulder, but she did not embrace him.

"I don't care," Yuki declared.

The maid frowned. "Are you sure you will be more happy there than you are here?"

"I'm sure of it . . ." His tears ceased to fall.

"Is that so?" Her voice sounded sad and very low in pitch. Yuki, too, started to resent her for that - without really thinking he raised a hand and struck her across her right cheek. Surprised by the anguished attack, she looked at the child with large ocean-gray eyes. A slight pink color was coming to the cheek that had been smacked upon - she remained still for a moment as she searched Yuki's eyes with her own. "Are you almost done?"

Unsure of how to react to her gentle question, Yuki slapped her again across the other side of her untouched cheek. "You hate me, too, don't you? Or why else would you look at me like that? A unhappy face is all I ever get from someone! You're no different from the rest of them! I wish you all would die already!"

He was feeling so miserable himself that he hurtled himself at the wall of his room to purposely injure his head. The maid let out a scream of terror at the sight when Yuki went rigid before falling to the matted flooring. A trail of blood made a trail down his forehead onto the clean matting beneath him. He really wished he could forget, yet forgetting was the hardest thing to do when it was engraved in his mind like a photo - undying and unwilling to fade with age . . .

"Yuki!" The maid cried out as she pointed a finger at him. "He purposely charged at the wall! I didn't have the time to stop him!"

He was breathless and worn down looking - he didn't know what made him come here when he heard that scream. He knew the scream was coming from his little brother's room, but why did he decide come, anyway? Nothing seemed out of place from when he last checked this delicate room that was Yuki's; his essence was marked upon here and now. Ayame, like a agitated wingless bird, ran towards his brother's fallen form and reached out his hands towards his cheeks.

"My dear brother . . . Why must you . . . Why must you make it hurt so much . . .?"

The maid stayed where she was as she watched the two brothers - one be damned while the other one be saved. It was a cruel twist to a hand tying all the knots, which let anyone who knew, no means of escape - they were all bound to something of materialistic worth. Ayame, the impeccably brave son, and Yuki, the tattered weepy boy who refused to realize the truth. In all respect, it was probably Yuki who deserved to be damned more so than his brother; alas, the wheels had been set in their rightful cornerstones - piece by piece were they going to find the true answer to everything.

* * *

Akito was lounging on a large blue cushion as he looked out the window from his bedroom. A ringing sound was resounding within his ears, and it was annoying the hell out of him. The medicine Hatori gave him did seem to lessen the droning sounds, but ever so quickly did the ringing return. He would have taken the entire bottle of pills if it were possible to not kill himself for doing so. Yet, why should it matter so much? He was fated to die, wasn't he? Why would it matter if he died now instead of later, where all the zodiac animals can laugh in his face when he is peacefully resting forevermore? What was the difference?

"Yuki," Akito breathed out softly. "I need your snow to freeze this heat."

Getting more angry by the second he raked his nails across the matting in his room - the parts where his nails made contact were completely ruined; their string were like short bristles that were now protruding from the mat, and these parts did not seem to match the rest. Akito turned his head towards his paper-screened bedroom door, he hoped that the person's fingers he was seeing was Yuki's. Upon seeing Hatori he frowned instead.

"I have not told him the reasons of your condition yet," Hatori reported.

Akito scoffed. "Does my pretty little bird not care what happens to me? Is he trying to bite the hand that feeds him? Shelters him? Loves him? Is he trying to defy me?" Akito's pupils widened considerably, and Hatori merely stood there staring down at him like Akito's afflictions did not affect him at all. "Make sure he knows his goddamn place here! You make sure he knows it well, Hatori!"

"I understand." Hatori bowed his head.

"All of you zodiac scum drive me insane!" Hatori could see the sensual side of things that Akito was rambling about. It didn't hurt any less that they were all indebted to this dying boy, who wished to have nothing to do with them in the first place. He happened upon this circumstance by chance, and there was no changing of fate for him - he was enslaved one way or another. "Leeching off me like I am the only living thing on this planet! It's disgusting!"

"Shall I call for Yuki?" Hatori made a hinted invitation to allow Akito the luxury of seeing the gray-haired boy without a fuss from anyone. Akito shook his head - he wanted Yuki to come of his own accord - he usually did sooner or later. "Then is this all?"

"Yes."

(The clock is ticking . . . When he perishes, what will become of the rest of us?)

Hatori left Akito's room to go back to the patio where Yuki liked to stay, and discovered that the boy was no longer there. He wanted to warn him about Akito's temperamental complication, but as important as he thought it was he hadn't the time to go wandering the halls looking for him. Perhaps at another time he could say something. As of right now he needed to meet up with Shigure and discuss an urgent matter that had been plaguing his mind ever since he first tended to Akito earlier in the day. Ayame was not capable of keeping secrets so Hatori decided to leave him out of this one just this once. Having such an issue come out in the open for all the other zodiac animals to hear was going to make Akito become more obsessed with Yuki than ever before.

That was if it ever got out in the open.

Chapter 3: END


	4. Chapter 4: Kyo

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: Thank you to the reviewers who are still reading this and leaving me comments. Again, doumo arigatou gozaimasu!

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 4: Kyo

Tooru was an early riser, and she had never been late in making a nice breakfast before heading out to school. Stranger still, it was she who had to wake up her cat each morning when it was usually the cat's job to be the earliest riser.

"Kyo," she poked at his stomach, "it's time for breakfast so you better get up." He peeked one eye open to look at her before stretching out lazily and sitting up. Tooru smiled at him and asked, "what would you like for breakfast today? Tuna?"

(Ugh.) Kyo meowed. "Meow."

"Then, salmon?"

"Meow." (Wrong again!)

"Sardines?"

"Meow." (Something besides fish would be nice. Geez, she acts like a cat eats nothing other than fish, and drinks nothing other than milk . . .)

It was like they understood each other on a completely different level. Tooru had come to learn that whenever he meowed after she asked him about breakfast, lunch, or dinner, she knew that it meant a 'no'. Kyo was getting rather impatient with his air-headed master, so he jumped out of his sleeping box and walked towards the refrigerator - he waited until she opened it.

"Hmmm, about the refrigerator, Kyo, it's almost empty and the only kind of meat I have left is salmon, tuna, or sardines." Kyo looked up at her with his large cat-like red eyes. (I forgot to go shopping last night when I was coming home from work. Gee, I wonder how I forgot to do something as simple as that?) "So, what will it be, huh, Kyo?"

(She's got to be kidding me . . .) Kyo merely stared at her; his tail barely moved back and forth, thus showing Tooru that he was displeased with her.

Kyo hadn't really thought about it when he was released, but sometimes he was really grateful that this nice teenage girl found him when she did. He was half-starved, forced to live the life of a cat, and was chased around by plenty of dogs while he was out prowling around the streets. Still, it satisfied him that he was no longer within Akito's control, despite the drawback of remaining as an animal for the rest of his life - this was more freedom than he had ever experienced in a really long time, and he liked it to some extent.

"Meeeooowwww." (Can we eat something already?)

"I know, I know," Tooru reached down and scooped Kyo into her arms, "you're really hungry and so am I. We'll settle for sardines for now, okay?" Kyo sweat dropped. "Sardines is the one you dislike the most less when it comes to tuna, salmon, or sardines. I'll make sure to fry it in peanut oil and add a bit of salt to yours."

"Meow . . ." (Makes me wonder how you can eat any sardines without any salt . . . It's not like they're naturally salty.)

* * *

Kyo hissed as best as he could while trying to stare down the terrier pit bug dog that was chasing him relentlessly around a small park. He managed to get up a tree, but now the stupid dog wasn't going to leave him alone until he got a bite out of his behind. (Damn dog, move!) Not only was he afraid of getting down, he was also hungry and was in desperate need of some nutritional food. It has been three days since he was turned into a creature and then into a cat, and disregarded as one of the Soumas by Akito. Kyo was never going to forget the angry look the foolish bastard had on his face when he defiantly told him he was breaking away from the Soumas. It was a satisfying moment indeed.

"You filthy cat, how dare you think yourself worthy to be a Souma to begin with?" Akito accused, cold blue eyes staring menacingly at the red-head.

"I never said I was worthy or unworthy," Kyo replied. "Hell, like I even care that you're going to disregard me from the rest. Be my guest; at least I'll be away from all of you annoying freaks residing within this mansion; at least I'll especially be away from you, Akito."

"You dare belittle me?" Akito struck Kyo across the side of his face so hard that he could actually taste his own blood inside his mouth. "You think I'm here for all show and no tell? Do you honestly think that I am not your God?" Akito struck him again - this time it was across the left cheek - the untouched side. "Don't you ever say such a thing about me! I am your God, and it is your duty that you stay beside me as an obedient piece of shit that has no value to me whatsoever!"

"A piece of shit, eh?" Kyo wiped at the side of his mouth when his blood oozed out. "Well, all right, this little piece of shit here you're talking to is about to hit the road, and I'm never coming back."

"You're not getting away that easily," Akito warned. "In order for you to prance away freely, it will come at a cost and it will most likely affect you for the rest of your life."

"I'm prepared for anything. Bring it on." Kyo was determined to escape no matter what.

"Kureno!" Akito shouted.

As if conjured up by magic, Kureno appeared from behind a screened door. "You called, Akito?" He looked over to Kyo for a brief second - no emotion was portrayed on his expression.

"Where's that damn bracelet you keep with you all the time?" Kureno reached into his pocket and handed it over to Akito. "See this?" Akito held it up in the air for Kyo to see. It was a variety of chestnut beads weaving in and out of blue colored string. "This has the reverse affect of that beaded bracelet you're wearing now," Kyo's eyes widened at the mere prospect of being trapped as a hideous creature, "and you'll have to wear this around your neck until the day you die if you wish to leave me."

Kyo looked to Kureno for some sort of sign, but none came his way. This decision was his, and his alone. Could he face the humiliation of being free, but roaming about in the forest only due to his hideousness? Kyo involuntarily gulped as he looked at the bracelet Akito held.

"I accept."

"A stupid choice you've made, but you were never very bright to begin with. Kureno," Akito waited until the man was standing directly beside him, "I want you to place this around his neck and remove the one on his wrist. That one belongs here with me."

The sad look in Kureno's eyes was almost too much for Kyo, yet, he knew that he had already made up his mind, and there was no turning back at this point. Lifting up Kyo's left hand by the palm, Kureno slipped the beaded bracelet off only to have Kyo transform into the hideous creature he was constantly hiding from others. He could see Akito smirking at him evilly when Kureno bowed before raising the other bracelet up to fasten around his neck like a tight choker.

". . . I'm sorry," Kyo whispered, just loud enough for Kureno to hear. The sad look in the rooster's eyes could've only meant one thing - he desired the freedom Kyo was receiving. Yet, the red-head wasn't sure Kureno would ever leave Akito, because he had been with him the longest, and who knew what sort of ties he had with the boy.

Kureno shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry about." Kyo was surprised that Kureno could smile so easily. "You're free now."

(Yeah . . . I am free, but with a body like this I will live a lonely life by myself in the woods.)

"Go. Get out of my sight you hideous monster," Akito said.

Kyo growled, but he knew in doing so he was only fueling Akito's satisfaction of torturing him. A life condemned to be by oneself shouldn't have bothered Kyo as much as he thought it should. He had trained in the mountains for six months with little to no human contact, so why was it hurting so much to be alone now? Kyo was sure he knew the answer, yet he didn't want to admit it to himself. This was his decision and it was too late now to back down - even if he would never see his Master again . . . At least he did this for his own sake, as selfish as it may have sounded.

"I was about to. No need to tell me," Kyo replied, in a eerily gruff voice.

Something painful jabbed at his heart - the feeling of being alone - he'd have to deal with it. As soon as Kyo was outside of Akito's room he leapt up into the air and into the nearby bushes before disappearing completely. A person with startled chocolate-brown eyes saw the creature leaping away, and there was no mistaking it that that creature was Kyo. The eyes lingered on the bushes where they last saw Kyo, but they were soon transfixed to Akito's bedroom door when they saw him emerge from his room, with Kureno following closely behind him.

Out in the wilderness Kyo was blindly running and running; he never dared stop to catch his breath no matter how much he needed it. He simply wanted to get away from the Soumas' mansion as much as possible. Being cursed was a rude awakening to him when he was only a small child - his mother's rejection was felt, but not entirely seen. He hadn't realized it at the time when she'd usually finger the beaded bracelet he wore on his right wrist. He was too naïve to notice why she constantly did that. She did see him as the deformed cat once, but her shock did not last long and she did not treat him any more differently than she had before. All his life he was never let outside so it was nothing new to be locked away inside his own home like a prisoner; the only strange thing that occurred was the permanent wearing of the beaded black and white bracelet after he had transformed.

"**Good, you still have your bracelet on. That's my Kyo."**

"**I'll keep wearing it as long as you want me to." Kyo looked up at his mother and smiled.**

Kyo ran and ran until his ribcage ached. He stopped to rest underneath a tree, but that peculiar tree he went under housed a teenage girl up high in its branches. He didn't notice her presence until she jumped down to stare at him, wide-eyed with shock. It was apparently obvious that she had never seen such a creature like Kyo before.

"Hi," she said, a little nervous at Kyo's sudden glaring. Her eyes immediately steered themselves towards the beads the creature was wearing around his neck. She thought they look rather beautiful in their own little way, yet now was not the time to be admiring anything, really.

"Get away from me!" Kyo wasn't in the mood to be dealing with anyone, let alone a frightened girl. "I'm a monster, so if you don't want to die, get the hell away from me!" When she didn't move he only got angrier. "I said get the hell away! Now!"

She fled, then. Fear took action and made her legs run for her life. Kyo watched the girl's retreating form as she got father and farther away from him. When he first glanced into her emerald-colored eyes he was surprised to see that she looked oddly sad, more so than scared. However, that only lasted for a second before he could no longer see it.

The frightened girl ran to the edge of the forest's entrance before stopping to catch her breath. Little did she expect to run into a cat-like creature in her daily adventures beneath her favorite tree. She hadn't even realized that such creatures as him existed in the first place. What scared her most about him was his vicious fangs and angry looking red-colored eyes.

"I can't just leave him there . . . Besides, I was there first and that's my favorite tree. I even gave it a name. Daiki."

* * *

Kyo didn't linger underneath the tree for long; he was spotted by a human and he now knew that he did not go deep enough into the forest. He was just about ready to start walking again when he heard a man's voice from behind him.

"Wait."

"Master?" Kyo turned around to face him. It was indeed his Master, and within one palm of an outstretched hand he was holding a small vial of green-colored liquid. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I've come to give you this. You'll at least be more normal looking this way."

"How . . . How did you know about this?" Kyo asked, surprise clearly etched upon his face.

"Kureno told me; he was breathless when he came to me with the news."

"And I thought he'd envy me for my freedom, yet, if he told you about me, then I guess not." Kyo looked at his ugly hands for a moment. "Whatever is in that vial, Master, I don't think I should drink it."

"Don't act stubbornly, Kyo." Kazuma was dying inside simply thinking about Kyo being all alone out here in the forest. If he took the form of a cat he could at least roam around the residential areas as a stray - that was better than a life of solitude with nothing to comfort you, but the sounds of the forest as days would go by. "It'd make me feel better if I knew you were going to be all right. Being holed up here is going to drive you insane."

"It's really nice that you're concerned for me, however, I can't drink that to ease my burdens. I've abandoned Akito."

Kazuma placed the vial of green-colored liquid down on the ground before stepping away from it. "Think about it, Kyo. Despite what Akito's demands may be, it shouldn't matter so much since you've broken away from him; if he ever comes after you I'll make sure to come and save you. Besides, you may be a zodiac animal, but you are not marked like the others - there's still hope for you."

(Akito's hold on you is not as strong as you think, since you were not present at the banquet, Kyo.)

Kyo turned a light shade of red at the mere prospect of his Master carrying him within his arms, or something of the sort. It was all too embarrassing, and it'd definitely hurt his pride if such a thing were to ever happen. Kazuma said nothing further, and simply walked away. He could only hope that Kyo would make the right decision for himself.

Chapter 4: END


	5. Chapter 5: Savior

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: Diving into the past of how Kyo and Tooru's relationship began! Perhaps they might be battling for the spotlight between Yuki and Akito! Nah, everyone's gonna get some of the limelight (if not much). :) However, I'm wondering if I should even mention (give 'em some spotlight) all the zodiac animals, because there's an awful lot of them. What do you guys think? XD

And the way I wrote Uotani and Hanajima, I'm already assuming my readers know who they are. XD I'm also going to make Saki , Tooru, and Arisa address each other by their first names. X3

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 5: Savior

Tooru was determined to go back into the forest and confront the creature once more; after having left and thought about the whole ordeal Tooru felt that the creature wasn't totally out of this world. In fact, she somehow felt that it was sort of human-like in its own way. First off, it could talk, and it sounded like a really mean person, which qualified as the personality of a person. Secondly, despite its strange appearance, there were some qualities about it that deemed it as a human-like thing. Besides, there are no such things as monsters, right?

Kyo was really high up in a tree by the time the girl returned. He recognized her as the girl from yesterday, and it wasn't helping any that he was getting pissed at the mere sight of her. He couldn't let the picture of her sad eyes (even if it were only for a moment) escape his mind. The night before he was plagued with that lone image.

"Didn't I tell you get away?" Kyo said, from atop one of the trees.

"Ah, um, you did . . . Um, I'm Tooru." She looked around above her head to see if she could spot him.

"Why the hell are you telling me that? Does it sound like I care?"

(I want to help this creature in any way I can.) "N-no, but I was wondering if you need help or anything . . ."

"Aren't you scared of me?" Tooru nodded - she was being completely honest. "Then why show up and stick around to simply let me rip your fucking head off?" Tooru sweat dropped at the sound of that, but she was going to stand her ground and take her chances. "Are you asking for an early death or something?"

"No, nothing of the sort. Um . . . Wouldn't it be better if you were down here instead of up there?" Tooru literally jumped when she heard rustling of leaves from the treetops up above her. "I would be able to see you better." A loud thud and a rushing sensation of wind blew behind her; she dared herself to turn around to face him. "You came down." Her eyes widened at looking at his figure, and the first thing she focused on was the beads fastened around its neck.. "Tha-thank you."

"Heh, you're trembling." (Why won't she run if she's scared?)

Gulping, Tooru took a step closer to the creature so that she could see it better. "Hi, I'm Tooru. It's nice to meet you."

"You already told me your name once; I don't need to hear it again."

"That was improper of me to greet you in such a way, so I've started over." Tooru could feel her fear slowly melting away. (Up close . . . He's not as scary looking as I thought he'd be.)

"I'm Kyo."

"Kyo . . . is it?" (Its definitely a boy.)

"Yeah, what of it?"

"N-n-nothing!" Tooru was stuttering this time because the creature known as Kyo was baring his fangs at her. "I just think that you have a really nice name, that's all! And I wanted you to know that I don't think of you as a monster, but a person! A person just like me! Monsters only exist in fairy tales!"

"A person, huh?" Kyo wanted to laugh. "Do I look like a person to you?"

"Yes." Kyo wanted to smack her for being so stupid. "On the outside you may not look like one, yet, on the inside I feel that you are one. Humans can speak, therefore--"

"Don't make assumptions about me!" Tooru cried out in pain when Kyo struck her across the face, which sent her flying to the ground. She landed on her back - there was something small poking her - she dared not move though, in fear of Kyo hitting her again. "You're merely an outsider who knows nothing about me! Even he knows nothing about me! No one understands true freedom except me!"

Tooru wasn't sure what he was getting at, and she had no idea as to what he was shouting about, but she didn't want to make things worst by adding on a comment itching to come out of her mouth. The only thing she could say was, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"I didn't mean to upset you . . ."

She sat up slowly when it looked like Kyo was a tad bit calmer. Reaching out a hand behind her she picked up the irritating object to see what was poking her only moments ago. It was a small vial filled with green liquid. (What's this?) Kyo also having caught sight of the vial, snatched it from the girl before she even knew what was happening. This was something his Master gave him and he didn't want some girl touching it so causally.

"This is mine," Kyo said.

(That small thing belongs to him? I wonder what's inside it?) "Is that medicine?" Tooru heard herself ask before she even thought about it. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to pry like that! It suddenly slipped and I wasn't thinking when I asked it! You don't have to answer me if you don't want to! Really!"

(What a weird girl . . .) "Yeah, it's medicine."

"Oh, medicine. I'm sure you'll feel much better once you take it . . ."

"Supposedly."

(Supposedly? Why does he sound so remorseful about it? Maybe it's not medicine, but actually poison!) Tooru was literally wearing herself down merely thinking about the vial and the substance it contained. She didn't even notice that Kyo uncorked the top and downed the liquid in one gulp. Her monologue within her own head ended when she heard a loud "poof" sound, and when a cloud of purplish smoke surrounded her. (What's happening?)

"Meeeeoooowwwwwwwwww!" (What the fuck!)

"Huh?" The green-eyed girl looked down at an orange cat standing in front of her.

"Meeeeooowwwwww?" (This was Master's idea of being all right?)

"Kyo?"

"Meeow?" (I'm stuck as a cat now . . .?)

"Kyo, is that you?" She noticed that he went from a very large (rather ugly cat-like creature) into a cute orange cat with bright red eyes. (He's adorable . . .!) "Are you all right?"

Kyo finally looked up at her when she kept calling out his name like it was the most natural thing to do. He stilled at the sight of the cheek he slapped earlier - it had become a greenish-blue color, and it looked like it was really painful. He bowed his head as he thought back to the moment when he hit her out of frustration.

(It's better off if I don't involve myself with her any longer. She's only a nuisance anyway.)

Turning on his heels Kyo leapt away from Tooru, and off into some nearby bushes. Tooru stood up as fast as she could to chase after him; she didn't know what was driving her to do this, but she knew that somehow she couldn't leave things as they were now. (Whether he wants my help or not . . . Some people won't openly admit it even though they crave it above all else. I've met one such person long ago . . . She was the one to teach me the true meaning of caring about someone. She taught me everything.) As soon as she charged at the bushes where Kyo leapt over, her foot got caught under an underbrush, and in the next moment she found herself lying flat on her face. Raising her head she could see a small fleck of orange before her vision clouded over and she passed out.

* * *

Kyo slowed to a trot when he noticed that he was nearing the edge of the forest. He could see street lamps turning on in the distance; he then knew that he wasn't too far from a residential neighborhood. A cold gust of wind hit him as soon as he stepped out of the clearing and onto solid cemented sidewalk. The sun was already starting to retreat for the day, thus allowing the moon to take over the sky. Kyo looked to the left and right of him - he didn't want to go home to his mother because she doesn't remember him anymore, anyway. It still puzzled him now, though, that she'd suddenly snap and go insane from depression. It was there and then that Hatori had no choice, but to erase her memory of ever having a zodiac animal for a son.

Her Kyo was no more.

He wondered how she was faring now, since she no longer had a huge burden on her shoulders. It was as if a boy named Kyo never existed within her life, and she was completely content about it, but Kyo didn't blame her . . . Because he thought everything should be blamed on him. It was all his fault.

(Damn! It's cold!)

Not really knowing where to go, Kyo wandered to a street bench not too far away from where he was standing, and huddled underneath the bench seat to try and keep himself warm. As cold as it was Kyo remained under that bench for the rest of the evening and night.

* * *

Several weeks went by . . . Tooru couldn't get Kyo out of her mind even though this much time had passed already. Hanajima Saki and Uotani Arisa (who are her friends) were walking alongside her to go to school when Tooru spotted a certain orange-colored cat standing atop a tree. A dog was at the base of the tree barking at it, and the cat seemed really scared.

"That poor cat," Saki began.

"That's not a uncommon sight," Arisa added. "Just leave it. We better hurry on up before the school bell rings."

"But it looks really frightened." Tooru could only wonder if this cat was the cat known as Kyo. Without really thinking Tooru ran up to the barking dog and tried to wave it away with her schoolbag. Saki and Arisa were shocked at her heroic act, but it was still dangerous to approach an angry dog without any warnings whatsoever. "Shoo! Please don't hurt this poor cat, Mr. Dog!"

Meeooowwww!" (Aaahhhhh! It's her again!)

"Well, well," Arisa decided to help the trembling brown-haired girl, "it seems like the cat is getting even more agitated than it already is. I think I better help Tooru out before something bad happens." She, too, ran up alongside Tooru and started to wave her schoolbag at the dog. "You heard her. Shoo. There's nothing tasty about this cat; I can at least assure you that much."

(Did she just say I'm not tasty? Why the hell is she talking about me as if I am food! I'm a cat, goddamnit, not some damn food!)

The waving schoolbags didn't have the effect Tooru and Arisa thought it would, because the dog now turned towards them and growled. They sweat dropped when it looked like the dog was going to jump on one of them at any second. Saki (who had been standing in the sidelines this whole time) walked up in front of her two friends and stared at the dog in the eyes.

"Sa-Saki, what are you doing?" Arisa asked.

"Mr. Dog, you needn't be so angry. The cat is not worth you time, and my friends are not something you'd want to bite into." When the dog continued to growl, she added, "trust me."

If one concentrated hard enough, one was sure they saw electric sparks fly back and forth between the girl and the dog. And then just like that the dog stopped growling and ran off.

"Wow, Saki, that was so cool! How did you do that?" Tooru was gushing with excitement; Saki reminded her of a magical school girl she once read about in a manga when she was younger. "Now the cat is safe! You're its savior!"

"It was really nothing." Saki turned to face her friends. "Are you all right, Tooru, Arisa?"

"I'm perfectly fine all thanks to you," Tooru replied.

"Are you sure you aren't some super human girl?" Arisa asked. She was eyeing her friend critically.

"Of course not." Saki looked towards the direction of their school. "And it seems like we're late. The gates must be closed by now."

"We're late!" Tooru was running around in circles like her life depended on it.

(What an idiot.) Kyo stayed where he was up in the tree as he watched the girl create smoke at her heels. (Is she trying to be a damn car or something? More over, where the hell does she get all her energy when she looks so skinny and fragile?)

"You know," Arisa was now glancing up at Kyo, "that cat seems really strange for some reason. I swore it was just glaring at you a moment ago, Tooru. Funny, isn't it?"

"I didn't know cats could glare," Tooru said. "Mr. Cat, you were glaring at me? Did I do something to upset you? If so, I am truly sorry."

"Meeoooow." (Shut up and go away.)

"It seems irritated. My electric waves can sense its distrust in us," Saki stated. "In any case, I think we better go before we get into more trouble than we're already in. My parents don't like it when I am late for school."

"You're already late so what's going to be the difference?" Arisa asked.

"Oh, I guess you're right."

Chapter 5: END


	6. Chapter 6: Friendship

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: Still yammering a lil' more about Kyo and Tooru's relationship. It's taking a little longer for me to write it out than I first thought. Oh, well, I kind of figured they're going to be key characters in this fic, alongside with Akito, Yuki, and some of the other zodiac animals.

And "oh, my freakin' god", Akito is insane, I tell you! Insane! X3

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 6: Friendship

"I've finally found you after all this time." Kyo looked up to see a long, flowing brown hair hiding his view of the girl's face. No matter what her expression looked like, she sounded really relieved so he didn't need to know. "I thought I'd never see you again after that day when I saw you up in that tree . . ."

(Hell . . . She's found me again.)

Kyo was sitting at his usual spot underneath the bench seat he first ran into several weeks ago. In other words, you could say this was his home, because he had nowhere else to go.

"If you're hungry . . ." The brunette-haired girl pulled out a meat bun from a bag she was holding, ". . . I could give you some of this. Do you want some?"

Kyo hissed when she tried to give him a piece. (Back off, bitch!) Startled by his angry reaction, Tooru dropped the piece of meat bun she was holding, so that she could withdraw her hand away from the angry cat. Before . . . When she first met him . . . He was able to talk, but now . . . cat language was his only tongue, so it seemed.

(I can understand why he is being so bitter - being stuck as a creature, and then being stuck as a cat is not a life anyone would want to lead. I wonder who could have done this to him? I've never even noticed such things that seemed quite abnormal . . . Kyo is out of the ordinary. I've truly met someone who is not living a life like any normal person should.)

"Meeeeoooooww." (Why is it that you're glad to see me? Why the hell do you care so much?)

"Um . . . I don't understand what you're saying, but it seems like I have made you angry yet again." Kyo's hissing ceased when he noticed the sad look that came to her eyes. She looked like she was about ready to cry, and he didn't understand why there'd be a reason to shed tears in the first place. She wiped at one of her eyes fiercely. "I'm sorry. I think I'm about to cry. There's this tightening feeling I feel coming to my chest, wrenching at my heart. Please," she was now looking at Kyo desperately, "please, come and stay with me. You're all dirty and you look so skinny . . . It's not right."

(Is that so? Is this worthless heap of human shit pitying me? Did I goddamn ask for her condolences as a reward? I don't think so!)

"Meeooww." (You're annoying.)

"No one's going to bother you. I live alone. It'll be just you and me. I swear."

(Why is she going out of her way to help me? Is there some hidden agenda of hers I have yet to find out?)

Rivets of tears poured forth from the girl's eyes, because she found that she could no longer contain them in. She was crying, but she was not so sure as to why she was doing so; it was rather hypocritical to say that she didn't pity Kyo, yet at the same time she felt something entirely different from pity. Something was blossoming within her; she only needed to reach out and realize what it was. Maybe it was a feeling she long ago felt - the feeling of being unable to help someone who terribly needed assistance.

(Why didn't I do anything? Why did I leave it as is? Why did I let her go?)

"Meow." (Stop crying.)

"Please come stay with me. I promise you I'll try my best to make you as comfortable as possible. Make any demands you want and I will try my best to fulfill them."

(What a lunatic . . .)

(This time . . . I want to make a difference.)

Kyo accepted her offer when he stepped out from under the bench seat to stand beside her. He looked up at her expectantly. He thought that if staying with the girl was going to make her happy, then he was going to live with her because that was what she wanted. In all instances she was merely shedding off one burden for another.

* * *

"Watch the house for me while I'm at school, please," Tooru said.

"Meow." (Whatever.)

(Also makes me wonder why she isn't living with her grandfather . . . She did tell me he's still alive and well . . . What an idiotic girl.)

"Oh, and if you get hungry, I've left some of the leftover fish from breakfast for you." Kyo sweat dropped. He was already tired of eating any type of fish, and that was why he couldn't finish his breakfast in the first place. "And if someone tries to break in the apartment while I'm gone you know what to do, right?"

"Meeeooowww . . ." (Yes, just leave already . . .)

"Okay, that was all I needed to hear." It was more better to say that she didn't understand anything Kyo was saying, as usual. "I hope you have a pleasant day!" Tooru smiled at Kyo before closing the apartment door behind her.

(You, too, rice for brains . . .)

* * *

Yuki was bored; he was lying in his futon inside his room where the sunlight filtered in from the window. It was well past morning, but he didn't have the energy to get up for some reason. Usually, at this time, everyone was gathered in the dining room eating breakfast together (aside from Akito not being there), but even though he was absent from the meal no one would think much of it because Akito told them he'd sometimes not show up. At those times he was usually with the God himself, but this time he was left off the hook, or rather he didn't want to see his face this morning. He wasn't ready to face Akito just yet.

"Ah, you've yet to get up, I see." Yuki froze at the sound of his voice - Akito came to him this time it seemed. "I was waiting for you, you know.""I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you wait like that, but I feel I do not have the strength to go anywhere right now.""Oh? Are you coming down with a fever in the middle of summer? Odd, isn't it?" Akito asked.

"I do not have a fever; it's just that my asthma is acting up." Akito frowned at the sound of that - he hated Yuki's asthma - that was what he hated most about the gray-haired boy. "Can we skip it this morning?"

"That's quite absurd sounding with the way it's coming out of your mouth. There must be another reason why you don't want me, isn't there?" Yuki shook his head slowly. "Don't lie to me, Yuki."

(I'm afraid. Above all else . . . I'm afraid.) "If you won't relent, then I guess it can't be helped. I offer myself to you." (Once again . . . I offer and you take.)

"Good. Now open your futon and allow me room, fool."

Yuki obeyed by scooting over and lifting the end of his open futon for Akito's entry. This was nothing new, really. Sometimes, Akito actually came for him instead when he really wanted to have sex, and as Yuki's supposed God, there was no way he could deny Akito of what he wanted. If he wished to partake in physical activities with the gray-haired boy's physique, Yuki had no choice - he must comply with Akito no matter what. Once the other boy was snuggly laying beside Yuki, he wasted no time in undoing the knot that kept Yuki's garment together.

(This is love . . . His love for me takes this form, right? He's at his gentlest when he's with me like this, so it can't be mistaken for anything else. It'd all be too difficult to understand, if it was not this . . . Love. His form of love for me. I've always embraced it after he touched me for the first time, although how painful it may have been . . .)

"So this is the Yuki I've heard so much about. He's so small and he looks sickly." A boy no older than Yuki stepped out from behind the shadows, so that his face was no longer hidden. What Yuki believed he saw was a beautiful dark-haired boy with strikingly angry blue eyes that seemed to despise the entire world if not only his soul. "Did they really say I can have him?"

Yuki looked towards the man the boy was addressing. It was the fat bellied man he saw earlier - he couldn't see his face before, but now he got a good clear view. This so called burly man had short black hair, and his eyes were a soft brown; they were much too perfect for his imperfect image; his scarred face. Yuki sought out another person whom he recalled was with the fat man when they were discussing about him. She, too, had the softest of oak wood bark colored eyes, and as before, Yuki felt that she was scarred far too deeply to have such a look. Her elegant sand-colored hair cascaded down her back as she looked from the fat man, and then to the dark-haired boy.

"Marika has made the arrangements with his mother so it should be fine."

(Mother? My . . . mother?)

It then dawned on Yuki that the woman holding the red stamp was none other than his mother. Yet, why hadn't he recognized her voice? And who were these two people who helped him seal his fate? Just who are they?

"Well, Yuki, it seems you'll be staying here with me. Aren't you glad?" the boy asked.

"Excuse me . . ." Yuki was deftly afraid of the other boy's eyes - they held so much hatred that it hurt to look at him directly in the face, without feeling a jabbing sensation coming at his chest again and again. ". . . But what is your name?"

"Ahahahahahahahaaaahahaha!" Yuki was really terrified now - the dark-haired boy almost appeared to be a maniac. A no nonsense child who seemed to have lost his way. "My name, you say? Ahahahahahahahaha! Marika, I'll let you do the honors!"

(Just who are these people? And what did my mother mean when she said I was of no use back at our mansion? Would I really be able to make a difference for this crazed boy in front of me? I'm scared; so very scared that I want to go home and hide under my blanket. I don't want to peek out at anything just yet.)

"His name is Souma Akito."

Yuki gasped. They had the same last name, yet he was still confused as to who this boy really was.

"Eh? He looks confused, Marika. Hey," Akito was now smiling in an eerie way, "would you two leave us alone for a bit?" The fat man and Marika nodded, before standing up and leaving the now cold room. "Yuki, Yuki, Yuki . . .""Ah, um . . . yes?"

"Why do you look so afraid? Am I that scary?" Akito asked him.

"Your eyes," Yuki gulped, and backed up a little when Akito leaned towards him from his seated position across from him, "look really angry. Are you mad at me?"

"Mad . . . I hate that word. I hate that goddamn word!"

In one swift movement he had Yuki pinned to the tatami covered floor. The gray-haired boy was so shaken up with fear that one could see him physically trembling violently. Akito dipped his head down low and locked lips with Yuki. Yuki neither responded to such an action, nor did he pull away; he simply laid there like a slacken doll with no life motivating the limbs to move.

"Ah . . ."

That was all Akito needed. With Yuki's slightly open mouth he pried his lips father apart with his tongue and plunged in. When he pulled back, Yuki was absolutely red in the face.

"You tasted awfully sweet. A mouth of a virgin's; such virtue you have!"

"H-huh?" Yuki wasn't understanding Akito - they were only six-years-old, and Akito was already talking about being a virgin? Yuki wasn't even sure he knew what that word meant to begin with. "Wh-why did you kiss me just now?"

"Heh. You're special, so therefore, you receive special treatment specifically from me and no one else. You are mine and mine alone."

"I don't want to be yours . . ." was Yuki's reply. ". . . I want to go home."

"Your home is with me."

Having still be pinned to the floor Akito used this leverage to his advantage and forced the frightened boy beneath him to strip himself of his clothing. He was going to claim Yuki as his own, and once their bodies connected, it was all he was going to need to make this desire come true.

"S-stop it!" Yuki pleaded.

Akito pulled Yuki's legs apart and aimed for the goal . . .

"No, no, Yuki, let's begin!"

It was a horrible sensation, and it hurt so badly that Yuki was silenced by Akito's right hand. He clamped it down tightly over Yuki's mouth because he was being a little too loud. The burning feel of his anus, and what was plugged there. Akito's throbbing member was tearing his flesh - making him bleed for the sake of untouched skin. Yuk felt that this was completely wrong . . . They were only six-years-old, so how could he be in the process of getting raped by another child his own age? He was sure Akito was six, because he couldn't see it any other way - on his trip here he heard someone say:

"The dark-haired child is only six, believe it or not. The same tender age as Yuki."

Akito moved against the other boy and that made Yuki moan out in discomfort. There was definitely nothing pleasant about this horrible tearing he was not accustomed to. Akito was enjoying himself immensely as he pounded in and out of Yuki; his breath coming out in ragged puffs. When he escalated to completion he did little more than groan, and push in as deeply as his penis allowed before pulling himself out afterwards.

Both of the boys were tired; sweating; spent, and only Yuki was naked.

(How could he do this to me . . .?)

Thus, a bond, a friendship, a coming together was finally formed.

Chapter 6: END

Another's A/N: I'm also not very good at writing sex scenes, either. Sorry for the people who enjoy reading that sort of thing. I'll try harder next time! XD


	7. Chapter 7: Deceit

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: I think Hiro is a pretty interesting character. I was thinking that he should have a leading role as well, because I think he'd be kind of fun to write about. He's so young, and yet so mature. And not to mention super cuuuutttteeeee! (I mean as a little kid.) I definitely do not have a "little boy complex", just so you all know. X3 LoL

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 7: Deceit

"My pretty bird," Akito was causally petting Yuki on the head, "Hatori has told me that you don't care about my feelings. Is that true?"

(Did he really say something like that to Akito?) "I do care, really."

"Then why did you ignore him when he was trying to tell you why I was angry?" Akito asked, in the same sweet tone he was using before. Yuki thought it disgusting, but there was no way he was going to say that out loud for the other boy to hear. "My pretty bird, you needn't be modest."

"You're so satisfied that you are angry?" Yuki asked more than said.

"Correct!" Akito hugged Yuki tightly to himself, nearly knocking the wind out of the gray-haired teen. "I'm so ecstatic that it pisses me off! Can you understand this feeling of mine, Yuki? Can you understand how it feels like?"

Unsure of how to reply to Akito's questions, all Yuki could do was nod against him. By the time Akito had finally calmed down, Yuki was already tired from all the amount of force Akito used to squeeze him with. It hurt and it took all his strength simply to not moan out in pain. Akito sat up then, and draped his kinono over himself before getting out of Yuki's futon.

"What--""The others shall have another day off; you've put me in a better mood, Yuki."

Despite the fact that he was cut off from finishing his sentence didn't matter anymore. It all came down to the idea that he helped Akito get into a better mood, and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. The gray-haired boy hurriedly slipped on his own pale-blue kimono, which contrasted so starkly against Akito's dark navy-blue one, and stood up from his futon as well. He'd been longing to get a glimpse of the outside world all morning since the break of dawn. When all the zodiac animals would file out he got a chance to peek outside, even if he could see very little - seeing something was enough.

"Kureno!" Akito barked.

"I'm right here." Kureno was instantaneously by Akito's side.

Yuki was amazed at how quickly the man could come out from literally anywhere when Akito called out his name. It only made him wonder if he was always close by hiding in the shadows somewhere. Such thoughts let to the flaming of his cheeks - Kureno might have heard them while they were in the futon together - yet, it seemed like he'd never speak of it to anyone, anyway. Still, Yuki was one for privacy, so it couldn't be helped.

"Tell the others that they can have the day off, and I don't want any of them returning before midnight, understand?"

Kureno nodded.

(After midnight? But, why?) Yuki was obviously confused with Akito's decision. He had never asked for the zodiac animals to come back any later than 10 pm, so why did he say after midnight now?

* * *

"Woooowwww! Past midnight? Should be going hiking somewhere? Should we go to the arcade?" Momiji was super happy at being able to stay away from the mansion for that long. "This is going to be so fun, Kisa, Hiro!"

"Which part?" Hiro asked.

"It does sound exciting," Kisa added.

"Not you, too, Kisa." Hiro sighed; he couldn't understand as to why Kisa would always side with Momiji no matter what he said or did.

(What makes him so special that she'd treat the rabbit in such a way? Kisa, you and I are more alike compared to you and him, so why?) Hiro knew that he and Kisa had always been together ever since they were very small children, yet it seemed like she was drifting farther and farther away from him for some reason. She didn't particularly get close to Momiji, but it was all for Hiro's own satisfaction that he blamed the ditzy blonde for what he could not understand. If there was anyone that he could hate more, he'd surely point a finger at Momiji.

"So, what should we do first?" Momiji was jumping up and down, like a kid who had gotten too much sugar in his system.

"Makes me wonder why the three of us always specifically spend time with one another whenever we're let out, Momiji," Hiro said. "Sometimes, I try my hardest to bear it, but believe it or not, I really do get tired of seeing your goo-goo face all the time."

"Hiro!" Kisa was alarmed.

"You're so meeeaaaaan!" Momiji wailed. "Why are you so mean to me, Hiro? Why?"

(What Yuki told me doesn't make a damn difference. Even if he asks he'd never understand if I told him . . . I'm sure he wouldn't.)

"You wanna know why?" (You dumb shit.) "I'm mean to you because I don't like you. You butt into my business all the time, whether you realize it or not. It's taking all of my willpower not to bash your face in every once in a while - really, the urges do come and go."

"Hiro, I can't believe you!" Kisa cried. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

For some unknown reason, Hiro lashed out at her as well. His anger got the best of him this time. "And you, Kisa, always defending him like he's your older brother or something! It's not fair! In my eyes I see it nothing more than it being as self-pity! You only cling to him the way you do, because you have no one else! You'll never have no one else if you continue on this way!"

Hiro stopped shouting then, because Hatori was looking at him from afar. Sure, he had gone through the mansion's gates just like they have, but he didn't go very far just yet. Hiro was mortified - Hatori was actually giving him a stern look, and it really bothered him. Knowing that tears were going to start pouring from his eyes, he ran back through the gates and into the mansion. He didn't care what Akito was going to do to him; as long as he didn't have to look at Hatori's face, he was going to stay behind.

"Are you two all right?"

Both Momiji and Kisa looked up to see that Hatori was looking down at them. They nodded.

"What's going to happen to Hiro, since he went back inside?" Kisa asked, voice filled with fear. "Akito is going to be mad."

Hatori looked towards the gates of the Souma mansion. "It was his choice to go back inside; what happens to him now will have nothing to do with us. Hiro is a child on the outside, but within his heart he's a lot older than you'd think. He is not blind to the consequences he will have to face for his actions; I'd advise for the two of you to get away from here for a while, and come back at the allotted time."

"We can't just leave Hiro here!" Momiji argued. (Even he doesn't deserve such cruel treatment.)

"I've already told you, it was Hiro's own decision to go back. He wouldn't like it if you are to meddle in his affairs," Hatori replied. His voice was far from being panicky like Momiji's was.

"Still!"

"Momiji, let it go." Kisa looked really sad, but she was urging Momiji to not do anything brash. "Let's just leave here for now and come back later. Hatori is right, after all. It's really painful, but it is none of our business."

Giving in, Momiji sighed and slowly nodded his head.

* * *

Akito was lazily playing with the tendrils of Yuki's soft, ashen-colored hair when he suddenly stopped to listen for something. Yuki didn't move from his position on the floor, but he knew that something was definitely wrong. (What does Akito hear?) Akito sat up and craned his neck to the side - pretty soon, Yuki heard it too - footsteps. (Did someone stay behind?)

"I'll be right back," Akito suddenly said.

"Wait," Yuki clung onto the hem of Akito's kimono (I should stall him if I can . . .), "please don't leave me here."

"Leave you?" Akito shrugged off Yuki's hand. "I'm flattered that you want me so badly, but we can continue that later, understand?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Yuki replied.

"Don't you dare talk back to me!" Akito was suddenly flaring with anger. He threw the gray-haired teen a menacing look. "You stay here and I'll be right back! Once I've returned and I see that you are not in here, you're not going to get it gently at all! Understand, now?"

"I-I understand." (There's nothing I can do. Whose footsteps did I hear?)

Akito left the room and closed the screen door behind him. Yuki grabbed at his pale, blue kimono and fisted it within his hands. Something unpleasant was going to happen, and he could do nothing to stop the tyrant of a person whom he dearly loved. Yuki felt helpless; he hated this feeling, but it was all too common for him, because he'd been feeling helpless for the majority of his life here on this planet. Such a weak constitution can only lead him on to lean onto another far more stronger. Akito is that stronger person - Yuki latched on and now he couldn't let go.

Out on the other side of the mansion Hiro was standing before Akito, with fiery determination within his eyes. He wasn't go to show Akito the fear he wanted to see. His beating is going to be brutal; that, Hiro already knew.

"Didn't I tell you stupid animals not to come back till after midnight?" Akito snarled.

"Yes, you did," Hiro replied.

"Then why are you here now? Imposing upon me your disgusting presence." Akito lifted one hand in the air and it then came down across one of Hiro's cheeks. The stinging sensation made the boy's eyes water from pain. "Could it be that you want to be confined behind these walls for the rest of your life?"

"No."

"Don't fucking mess with me!" Hiro ducked out of instinct when Akito swung at him again - this only made the the black-haired teen all the more angrier. With quick steps he moved forward, and grabbed Hiro by the collar of his shirt. His dark eyes bored into Hiro's brown ones. (The look he is giving me. It's . . .) "Solitude is beckoning to you. A fate far more worse than what you've ever imagined can come true. A wall of loneliness wouldn't mind surrounding you. You'd blend right in, Hiro."

"I . . . I don't want that . . ." Hiro said. (I just want to be left alone to think. Akito, just leave me alone.)

"Just like a lost little lamb, I should peel the skin right off your flesh in exchange as wool, eh? Wouldn't that be magnificent?" Hiro was terrified at what he was hearing - he could no longer contain his own fear of this ferocious, unfeeling person. "Ah, you're trembling. Are you that frightened?"

"Stop it! Don't touch me!" Hiro was deftly afraid and he wanted to be rid of Akito's presence as soon as possible. "Stay away!"

"Don't use that tone of voice with me!" Akito literally flung Hiro's small form across the room. Hiro slammed into the wall before sliding down onto the tatami mats. He injured his left shoulder from that throw, and clutching at it tenderly, he looked at Akito angrily.

"Don't look at me that way! There is nothing about me that you should hate! You should be thankful that you have a roof above your head, because your pathetic parents dumped you into my hands, you understand? If it weren't for me, your scrawny hide would be begging in the streets for a mere scrap to eat! Obey my every will, you animal!"

"They haven't abandoned me! They . . . They love me very much!" (What he's saying can't be true!)

"Where are they then? Why aren't they here to retrieve their dirty bag of luggage?" Akito asked.

He took tentative steps towards Hiro.

"I don't know why they're not here, but they'll definitely come for me one day. I'm sure of it." Hiro wanted to at least appear strong in some way.

One of Akito's hands reached out for one side of Hiro's now tear-stained cheeks. His hand went from the boy's cheek down to the side of his injured arm. And he squeezed; Hiro cried out in pain - he tried to push Akito away, but the demonic teen wasn't going to let him go.

"You're going to suffer for breaking the rules I've set for you animals. Accept your punishment quietly, and it will end all the faster."

Akito turned Hiro's arm inside out with a very forceful tug - Hiro screamed in agony - his arm is broken, and it now hung limply by his side. Akito, with a smug look on his face, turned to leave the room. Hiro was left by himself to cry and cry.

(What have I done to myself?) Hiro was very unforgiving when he blamed himself for his own wrongdoings . . .

* * *

Akito was once again within the sanctity of Yuki's warm arms. When he had first come storming inside the room, Yuki was afraid that Akito was too furious beyond control, but as soon as he embraced Yuki, all seemed to go calm and still. Akito sighed and wrapped his arms around the other boy's torso.

"The things I do for you rotten things," Akito spoke, softly at best.

". . . They're enough to go by." Yuki didn't want to say anything that would offend Akito, and he knew that if he did not respond, it would make Akito angry. ". . . As long as we have you, nothing will change for the worse."

Chapter 7: END


	8. Chapter 8: Hiro

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 8: Hiro

Yuki definitely heard the scream and he knew it belonged to, too. Akito's hold on him tightened when the dark-haired teen felt the boy beneath him shift his weight considerably. He didn't want Yuki to get up and go investigating the issue.

"You're not going anywhere," Akito warned.

"That screaming I just heard before . . . Didn't--"

"Don't worry about it." Akito's eyes took on a malicious gleam and it scared Yuki to look directly into them. If it weren't for the head of the household holding him at bay, Yuki would not have wasted any time in going to assist Hiro in any way he can. He was not aware of what went on between their master and the sheep of the zodiac, but the scream alone was proof enough that it was nothing something civil. "Hiro's gotten what he deserves for running back to the mansion without my permission first. I've made sure to teach to him the meaning of obedience and what the consequences can be if he does not abide by my rules."

"I understand that and would never think of disobeying you without realizing what the consequences may be, Akito."

"Good. You've learned."

Yuki grimaced; Akito saying he's learned made him feel angry and helpless at the same time. He was the favorite of Akito's among all the other zodiac animals, and they condoned themselves by doing sexual acts, which is considered out of the norm and most of the zodiac animals are not even aware of this type of relationship that Akito and Yuki share.

* * *

Hiro pitifully clutched at his broken arm, sobbing as he laid huddled in a corner of his room. The window was sealed tightly shut because he wanted to try and close out as much of his voice as he could. There is, without a doubt, that Yuki heard him scream before when Akito broke his arm, twisting it around so painfully that Hiro thought his arm was going to come off. Here he was now in his darkened room, contemplating the results of his actions and of what was to come for him in the near future.

What exactly does Akito have in mind for Hiro now? He looked so furious only minutes ago . . . Surely, a mean one like him can come up with ways to torture him to make him understand the meaning of obedience. Hiro hated Akito for being the one on top, the one in command, the one that rules over them all, and the only one that they must serve. He hated everything about Akito . . . He absolutely abhors everything that Akito is.

A knock was heard on the door; Hiro tensed at he prospect of it being Akito, but when he heard the person's voice he felt relief wash over him. It was only Yuki. Poor Yuki. The one who never leaves the mansion when everyone else does.

"May I come in . . . Hiro?" Yuki asked.

Hiro said nothing, but Yuki opened the door anyway a second later. He peeked his head in and instantly noticed how dark the room looked when the window is not open. Hiro was huddled in a corner by the end of his bed, and he was looking up at Yuki with relieved eyes. The gray-haired teen did not understand the meaning of being relieved at seeing him, but he didn't have the mind to ask Hiro about it. The only reason he was here now and not with Akito, was because Akito has ordered him to come tend to Hiro.

"What do you want?" Hiro's relief vanished away as quickly as it had come when he saw Akito standing behind Yuki, smirking at him with bantering tones. "And why is he standing right behind you?"

"Who?" Yuki turned around to see who Hiro was addressing. (Who is Hiro talking about? I don't see anybody . . .) "There's no one behind me, Hiro."

"Akito . . ." Hiro could still see him, so very clearly, in fact. He wanted to kick, yell, scream, do anything that would alarm Yuki of impending doom. ". . . I can see him! He's right behind you! Dammit! Stop being a fucking moron and really look, will you?"

Yuki is obviously not pleased with the way Hiro is talking to him. He slightly pouts, comes inside the room and closed the screen door behind him. Hiro didn't look as terrified anymore, but he was still pretty tense. (What could Akito have done to Hiro to make him behave this way? What's the matter with him?)

"Hiro, are you hurt anywhere?" Yuki took a few steps towards the frightened boy. "Has Akito hurt you in any way? It's okay to tell me." Yuki smiled and sat down where he was standing (which is three feet away from Hiro). "I, too, face the insistent tyranny of Akito, so it's not you alone who he despises. He hates us all because we're all bound to him in a way that he does not want us to be."

"I already know that; don't tell me things that are pointless to me."

Yuki's smile faded - it was fake anyway - he was only forcing himself to make his lips tilt upward.

"Ah, well . . ."

"He broke my arm," Hiro suddenly confessed. "My left arm to be exact." Yuki was about to say something, but Hiro silenced him with a shake of his head. "I have no one to blame. Don't feel sympathetic for me."

"Your arm's broken?" Yuki stood up in alarm and went to Hiro's side. "You should have said so sooner! We need to get you medical attention!"

"Hatori's not here."

"Well . . .""We can't get a regular doctor; Akito will kill us."

Yuki sighed - he couldn't agree with Hiro more. So, for the rest of the day Yuki stayed with Hiro to comfort him until all the other zodiac animals returned when it was midnight.

"We should check on Hiro." Momiji tried to rush into the mansion, but was stopped by Kisa.

"Don't, Momiji. He must be really angry still. It's not a good idea to excite him further."

"I'll go check on him," Momiji and Kisa heard Hatori say.

* * *

"Hatori!" Yuki was relieved to see the doctor. "Hiro's arm has been broken! He needs medical attention right away!"

Frowning, Hatori rushed to Hiro's side. "Which arm?" He couldn't tell because it was so dark inside the room. "Which arm is it, Yuki?"

"The left."

"When did it happen?"

"Earlier when Hiro first came back inside the Souma house . . ."

Without a moment's hesitation the doctor picked up the suffering boy and headed out of the room. Yuki followed behind him, anxious to know if Hiro was going to be all right. The kid was sleeping and a cold sweat has broken out all over his face and body.

Hatori said, whilst walking, "you needn't follow me any longer. I can handle things from here, Yuki."

With a heavy heart Yuki nodded in understanding. Yet, as soon as he went to the lobby area of the mansion, Momiji and Kisa were looking at him anxiously. Yuki knew that the blonde was about ready to bolt from his seat, but Kisa had a firm hand on his shoulder and she didn't plan on letting him go.

"How's Hiro?" Momiji asked. He didn't need to know that Hiro was harmed because he already knew Hiro had it coming when he ran back inside the mansion. Still, he couldn't help feeling that he was somewhat responsible for triggering the boy's anger, and making him flee from him and Kisa. Momiji definitely could not help but feel really, really guilty. "Is he all right?"

(Momiji is so worried. I can almost feel his anguish.) "He's being tended to by Hatori right now." Yuki tried his best to look cheerful. "I'm pretty sure that he'll have a safe recovery."

"What exactly happened to him though?" Kisa asked.

"Akito broke his arm . . ."

Momiji opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead he remained silent. It was pretty rare to see Momiji so sad, yet there is no such thing as a all too cheerful person never getting sad. Momiji's lower lip started to quiver and Yuki thought he was about to cry . . . No tears cam forth, though.

Just then Kureno came out from behind a door. "Yuki, Akito requests to see you right now."

"Understood."

* * *

"My pretty bird, come here and lie with me. The moon is so pretty tonight. Half being shadowed in darkness and the other half shining brightly. Say, Yuki, do you think of me as the shadowed side? The one side that receives no light no matter which night?"

(Why is he always asking me comparative questions about himself? Should I tell him what I truly think?) "No . . . in a way, you can be the lighted side as well." Yuki went to Akito willingly when the dark-haired teen opened up his futon covering for him. "And in a way, I can say that you can be the shadowed side, too."

"Ahahahahaha, indeed!"

" . . . . . . ." (Was that supposed to be funny?)

"How's Hiro doing? I didn't break his arm too badly, did I?" Yuki shrugged. "Was he wailing like a baby? Brooding over the fact that he's ashamed to face the others now? Is he blaming everything on himself?"

"I don't know, Akito . . ." Yuki suddenly felt very uncomfortable being next the head master of the house. ". . . If you want to know how he feels, it'd be better to ask the person you're inquiring about directly, not through the account of someone else."

Akito chuckled, hand entwining itself around Yuki's left upper arm, squeezing but not hard enough to consider as being painful. "Only you can say such things and get away with it. What is it about you that drives me mad sometimes, that makes me want you so badly that I feel as if my insides are about ready to burst? What makes you so special above all of the rest? Can you answer my question, my pretty bird?"

"Only you know the answer to that, because I don't understand what you see in me that is special, that is considered a trophy above all others. That is something I don't see how you can see within me."

"That is something I don't see how you can see within me . . ." Akito mimed, letting the words sink in. "That is a wonderful phrase! It applies to both you and I! I can't see it! You can't see it! Who the fucking hell can see anything!"

(We're so much more blind than you'll ever be, Akito. All of the zodiac animals, that is . . . Even me.)

"May I be allowed to go to sleep now?" Yuki asked, feeling tired of chatting. His mind kept wandering to thoughts about Hiro, and he was worried about the condition the boy was in. Hiro's behavior from earlier sort of frightened him, and not only was Hiro physically wounded, he might also have mental inflictions as well. ". . . if it won't trouble you too much."

"No, go ahead. I'm satisfied as long as you're right here beside me. Don't let me catch you leaving this room tonight, or else you'll regret doing so, understand?"

Yuki nodded. Then in verbal confirmation, he said, "I understand, Akito."

* * *

"We might get caught. Let's go back before that happens."

A tug of the arm; quite forceful, but not strong enough to dissuade the other.

"I want to see him. It was all my fault that he's hurt."

Continuing down through the corridors, the two beings creeping behind the shadows make their way to a certain individual's room.

"But . . ."

"Kisa," the pursuer turns to face her, "if you're not willing to go any farther, then let me go on by myself. If you're that afraid of being caught and punished, then don't follow after me."

"Momiji . . ."

Momiji bowed his head, not wanting Kisa to see his sad face. "Hiro may not want to see me right about now, but I want to see him and that's all that matters to me. I know this is sounding pretty lame . . . Yet, I can't help but feel responsible for everything. If I don't go see him now I think I'm going to break."

"Think of Hiro's sake," Kisa pleaded, trying to persuade Momiji to turn back. "Think of what he'll feel."

Momiji was never considered a person who enjoyed meddling in other people's affairs, but when it usually involved him in some way, he tended to go all out. A small involvement quickly led to a bigger involvement, and pretty soon Momiji finds that he's at the very heart of it. He steps quickened as he neared the entrance to Hiro's room, and just as he was about to slide open the screen door, he heard someone say, "what do you think you're doing out here in the middle of the night? Right in front of Hiro's room no less."

"Akito!" Kisa squeaked, eyes growing enormously wide.

"I came to see him," Momiji replied.

"Go back to your room," Akito commanded. His voice was dripping with cold intonation, and there was no room for disapproval or disobedience, lest Momiji wished to be punished. "Don't let me catch you in such an act again, because I will not let you off as easily as I am doing tonight."

"My resolve is firm. I won't let you stop me."

Akito's mind instantly registered that as outrageous disobedience, but he neither said nor moved towards any indication of retaliating. At least he wasn't so sure he should be acting his part - itching to show the stupid zodiac animal who was the real boss around here - however, he decided to wait and watch.

"Kisa, make haste to your quarters at once and I do not want to hear a single word of this from you. If I happen to hear the other zodiac animals speaking of this, I shall make sure that you receive a good fifty lashings." Kisa nodded, trembling in fear at the head of the mansion. She then scuttled past the two boys, aiming to go along her destined course, never once looking back. "And as for you," Akito drew his cold, steely-blue eyes at the blonde, "thinking your resolve will save you makes me want to laugh. I shouldn't even need to aid the boy - he doesn't want to see you and you should know that better than me. I've cracked the shell, and if you go in there you'll most likely break it."

Momiji tensed at those words because Akito had a point. What was his decision going to be? What was Akito going to do him?

Where will this all lead for Hiro, Momiji, Kisa, and the others? Akito, even?

Chapter 8: END


	9. Chapter 9: Restlessness

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: I have been gone for like FOREVER, but I am back now. Hopefully I won't get stuck in a rut anytime soon, eh? XD However, having put this story aside for so long, I had to reread all of the chapters to remember some of what I have written (since my memory only contains bits and pieces of this). Sad, isn't it? _

I pray to feel someone's eyes roaming over my words, even if no review is sent my way.

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 9: Restlessness

Kyo yawned, bored out of his mind. Who knew being a house cat could be so unentertaining? He literally did nothing and stayed home all day. Without Tooru's presence around he felt rather lonely, and sought out companionship more than he would have liked to. Living with that girl has made him this way . . .

(She better hurry home tonight. Does she think I'm a watch dog or something?)

The sound of a door opening and then closing.

(At last!)

"I home, Kyo! Where are you?" The orange cat could clearly hear her voice from the foyer. She was slipping off her shoes - left shoe first and then the right one - by the time Kyo reached her. He sat down and looked at her, neither blinking nor meowing. "Are you hungry? I brought home some fish."

"Meow . . ." (Fish, again?)

"Would you like some?"

"Meow." (No.)

"Oh, I almost forgot," Tooru pulled out a red collar from her coat pocket, "one of the ladies I work with bought this for you. I told her I have a cat and she insisted on buying you a collar. Well," Kyo's eyes wandered to that of the red object, "isn't it pretty?"

"Meeoooowww." (It looks like a girl's collar. Did she think I was a goddamn girl or what?)

"I don't know what you are saying, but I'll just assume you like it. Kyo, here kitty, let me put it on you." With a wave of her hand she was ushering Kyo to come. However, the pissed off feline didn't feel like cooperating; in fact, he felt like doing the opposite and disobeying Tooru altogether. "Come on, you have to wear it in regards to her feelings. I am sure she put all her mind and heart into choosing this for you."

"Meeow." (Sounds more like something you'd do, not her). "Meow." (Whoever she is.)

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, someone by the name of Souma Akito was looking for someone named Kyo." Kyo tensed at the mention of Akito's name.

He had broken Akito's final rule for him, for he had taken the bracelet off his neck when he reached the forest. And his Master had came to him and gave him a vial to suppress his hideous form. Whether his Master knew of the adverse-effected bracelet or not it did not matter now. If Akito had found out about this . . . Then surely he would come for him.

". . . Well, Mr. Souma wasn't really there - someone else was speaking on his behalf, and he said his name was Souma Kureno. I guess they're related. Funny how the person they're looking for has the same name as you, Kyo."

"Meeeeoooww . . . (That's because they are looking for me . . .)

Tooru shrugged and got up to go into the kitchen, leaving Kyo alone in the small living room. With her gone and out of sight, Kyo jumped up the window sill and stared outside at the happenings of everyday life. It was peaceful here . . . More so than when he was trapped behind the walls of the Souma mansion, and worse yet, he was kept far away from the other zodiac animals. Everyone was strictly told not to talk to him, see him, or do anything of the sort. Kyo was all alone, waddling in his own misery until he was fed up with it all.

* * *

_Kyo stared down at his own hand - he looked human enough - without the black-and-white beaded bracelet, however . . ._

"_I'm not human. What kind of human would be able to turn into such a hideous monster as me? No one."_

"_That's right. Even the zodiac animals don't transform into something as ugly as you. And the stench you give off - you reek of a monster's flesh and bones. Be grateful I've allowed you to stay here."_

_Kyo snarled, annoyed at the tone Akito was using with him. "I am not willing to comply into being one of your household pets."_

"_Oh? Since when were you given the right to refuse, you stupid monster? Even your own mother could no longer accept you so you were sent here to live with me. Be a little more considerate." Kyo twitched at the harsh words being directed at him, but as Akito spoke he kept having the edgy feeling that the guy was right. "As of right now my mood has become sour - you have no one to blame but yourself. Shall I throw you in the cellar now or later, hm?"_

"_Do whatever you want. Like I care, you twisted fuck."_

"_What did you call me?" Akito leaned over in his seat, eyes nearly bulging out of its sockets. His anger wasn't abating; no, instead it was rising. "Say it again. I dare you."_

"_Like I care," Kyo's gaze was intense as they burned with hatred, and this made Akito cringe inside for some reason, "you twisted fuck."_

"_Twisted fuck? Me? Your God has no such degrading title!" In his fury he stood up from his chair and overturned it with one swift kick. Kureno, whom who was situated nearby stood to attend to the fallen object, however, Akito waved him away, silently telling him to remain put. With slow deliberateness the steel-blue-eyed teen inched his way forward. Not once did he blink. Not once. "You're really asking for it."_

_Kyo made no move to reply._

"_Kureno!" Akito suddenly cried out._

"_Yes, Akito?"_

"_Take him to the cellar and make sure he receives no food or water until I give the word!"_

"_Yes, Akito."_

_

* * *

_

"Momiji." Kisa looked at her friend worriedly. "Aren't you a little concerned?"

"Ssshhhh, Kisa, don't talk about it. I don't want you getting into trouble, too."

"But . . ."

The childish blonde let out a dry laugh, covering his eyes with one hand as he leaned his head back. For once, he did not wish for Kisa to see his tears. Though try as he might to hide it, he wasn't going to fool anyone. She could clearly see the liquid coming down his cheeks, glistening in the sunlight like a small stream of water. With a trembling hand Kisa placed it upon Momiji's now quaking shoulders.

_He had entered the room and wasn't the least bit surprised to see Hiro staring at him. His eyes were wide and he was breathing heavily, for his silhouette showed his erratic movements, as the moon's light pooled all around him. A distinct air of disgust struck at Momiji, but he stepped further in and closed the door behind him. Hiro managed to catch a glimpse of Akito's grinning face, before the screen doors were completely closed._

_Momiji stood there for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. "How are you feeling?" He asked once it seemed like the moment was right. "Is it very painful?"_

"_Why should you care?" was the automatic, annoyed reply. Hiro was pissed off. "Just leave me alone. He'll punish you for this."_

"_Akito?" Momiji inquired, even though he knew who Hiro was referring to. "Is it wrong for me to worry about someone I care about? Whether I get punished or not won't matter to me, because it'll be all the better if you're okay and that's all that matters to me."_

"_Stop lying! You big, fat, idiot!" Hiro was near shrieking, and apparently lights from other bedrooms flicked on. However, this didn't deter the angry boy from ranting on. "Get out of my room! I'm sick of seeing your damn face! Whenever I do see it I always feel like giving you a good punch in order to straighten you up! If it weren't for Kisa's intervention, then I would have done away with you a long time ago! I would have even buried your corpse myself!"_

"_Hiro." The blonde-haired boy was shocked more than anything else. "I had no idea you felt that way about me."_

"_Fuck you!"_

"_I'm--"_

"_Shut up! Get the hell out!"_

_Momiji took a step back . . . Then another, and another, and another, until finally, he was right against the screen door. He nearly fell backward when someone slid it open. A concerned Yuki had to move back, lest he wanted Momiji to fall onto him. Moving to the side though, he glanced into the dark room. _

"_Why are you yelling?" he asked Hiro._

"_It's nothing, Yuki," Hiro replied. "This is between me and that bastard right beside you. I don't want anyone butting in."_

_Around the bend of a nearby building and hidden from view, Shigure and Hatori were silently listening in on the conversation, for they had no plans to make their presences known. Although both men exchanged a look of agitation and confusion._

_Shigure whispered, "so it's true, then. Akito really did break the kid's arm."_

"_Of course. I wouldn't lie about something like that."_

"_Though," Shigure found the time to sweat drop, "are you sure you won't get in trouble for relaying this message to me? What if Akito finds out?"_

"_Worry more about how he won't find out."_

"Let it all out - don't hold back."

"I must look silly." He wiped at his nose, feeling mucus dripping there. "I've tried though . . . I've tried not to let Hiro's words get to me, but it must be ridiculous of me not to worry about him despite me being this way. Am I really a big, fat idiot like Hiro says?"

"Do you really believe that?"

"No."

"Then why are you saying such things, Momiji. If you can find it in your heart to forgive yourself, then maybe you won't feel this bad. Hiro is hot-headed, remember?" Momiji nodded his head in agreement. "He's kind of like Kyo in this way, right?" The boy beside her stilled, wondering why she was bringing up the outcast of the Soumas. Though tears were still running down his eyes, he was beginning to feel less sad and more curious. "Perhaps he'll be released, too, you know? Now wouldn't that be nice?"

"Kisa!"

Kisa looked up, frightened. "Y-yes?"

"I heard that little remark of yours." It was Akito and he was seething with anger. "So it seems you saw that ordeal, huh, you little runt of a tiger."

"I--"

"Don't say anything. Stand up and follow me," he commanded, cutting her off. "I need to talk to you in private." Kisa nodded and quickly stood up, but stopped short of walking when Akito said, "Kureno, make sure no one disturbs us or I will have you whipped, understand?"

"Yes, Akito," Kureno replied, seeming to appear out of nowhere (as he usually does . . .).

* * *

The young girl yelped. The enraged teen had struck her across the waist - having kicked her with much unneeded force.

"You stupid bitch! Why did you keep this from me! If you knew and were to tell Momiji instead of me, you're . . ." Akito was searching for the right words to say, but then after a while, decided to not finish it. "As punishment you are not to leave your room for an entire week, and I will see fit what you will be fed and when you shall be fed. If anyone dares visit you, whether it be in the wee hours of the morning or in the midst of the night, I won't hesitate to punish you further along with the perpetrator."

"I'm sorry, Akito," was the only thing Kisa could think of to say.

"Don't tell anyone else. And most of all, say nothing more to Momiji if he asks you about it," he warned.

"I understand, Akito."

"Retire to your room and don't leave unless you are to relieve yourself, though you cannot go alone. I'll have Hatori accompany you in such instances."

"Yes, Akito."

"Leave me. I'm tired of seeing your despicable face."

It took Kisa all her might to choke back her tears. Just from this one little slip-up, she was punished quite harshly, for she knew Akito was going to give her very little to eat the entire week. And having to spend this whole time in solitude, except for the short intervals she'll have with Hatori, she will be banned to see anyone else.

While she was making her way to her room, she crossed paths with none other than Yuki.

"Oh Kisa, hello," he greeted her.

"Hi." She didn't bother to look at him. "If you'll excuse me, I must go to my room."

"I see. Retiring early today?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Have pleasant dreams then."

Yuki watched her walk farther and farther away - he let out a sigh and knew she was injured. It was so obvious . . . He could hear it in her voice; the sharp intake of breath and the slight wheezing, because it was unmistakable. Feeling inclined to question Akito about his recent behavior, Yuki found himself walking to Akito's bedroom.

"Ah, Yuki, good timing," Akito had purred upon seeing his favorite rat.

"That will have to wait." (Sex . . . It will never be off his mind.) "I want to talk to you about something."

"What?" He sounded a bit annoyed, but relented to listening anyhow.

"First it was Hiro, and now it's Kisa?" Akito did not look the least bit fazed by Yuki's question. "What has Kisa done wrong?"

"It's not something you need to worry about. You're the cleverest of them all, being the rat of the zodiac, but I will not stand to think you can inkle things out of me. And more than that," he roughly pushed Yuki down, "I'd rather be doing something else with you."

It started off with gentle nuzzling of Yuki's throat, but it soon moved towards nibbling (almost light gnawing) and sucking motions. Within the back of his mind Yuki knew to wear turtlenecks for a while until the wounds were to heal. Or at least to bandage the wounds (which would result in him having to make up lame excuses for it) since Akito liked seeing him in kimonos and yukatas all the time.

"Not so hard," Yuki said, wincing from the pain.

"You like it a bit rough, don't you?" Akito said through showing teeth.

The gray-haired teen sighed, wishing he could shake his head in protest.

Chapter 9: END


	10. Chapter 10: Death

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: Dun-dun-dun~! What's gonna happen now? Be prepared to be clicking tongues or raising eyebrows at me. It's either that damn retarded (hehe) or that damn shocking (oh, god). XD

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 10: Certainty

"Are you feeling all right, Kisa?" Hatori asked, looking directly into the girl's face.

It has been three days now into her punishment, and the doctor could see how one becomes when given too little to eat and drink. Kisa was literally on the verge of a breakdown (or so it seems), and there was very little he could do for her.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"There are only four more days to go. Hang in there."

"I am," she replied. "I have to be strong. If only I was as strong as . . ." It then dawned on her - she was to not "mention" him to anyone else ever again.

However, it seemed like Hatori caught on. "Kyo, perhaps?"

Kisa frowned. "Don't speak about him! Akito will punish you, too! He'll--"

"It's okay, Kisa."

"But . . ."

"He may be gone from this household, but he has not been forgotten. I've seen him a couple of times myself, and each time I always got the impression he was a free-spirited and strong creature. It is not surprising Akito's orders were to have him locked up hidden from view."

Kisa gingerly rubbed at her eyes, having the feeling of tears welling up. "I hate this place. I hate everything about it. I hate this place so much."

"You shouldn't say that, Kisa. It's our home."

"I just want everyone to be happy. No one is happy here. Not even Akito himself."

Hatori sighed, for once thinking Kisa was delving into things far too deeply. She may be young, but as a silent observer, she noticed things some of the other zodiac animals did not. Yet, in being this way, she only made it all the more easier to get hurt.

"Don't you worry . . . One day we will all be happy."

* * *

"Kureno, have you discovered his whereabouts?" Akito asked in an impatient tone.

Kureno, head bowed and kneeling, replied, "no, Sir. I was informed there was a orange cat loitering around the area, but it was not the one."

"Did you get a look at it?"

"Yes, and it wasn't him."

"Hmph. He thinks he can escape from me, can he?" From a small drawer, Akito produced a beaded bracelet - the one Kyo once had on. "I told him never to take this fucking thing off and he agreed! There is no way in hell he is going to get away with disobeying my orders! No matter how long it takes you must bring him back here! I'll make him regret the day he was ever born!"

"Yes, Akito."

"Leave! Get out of my sight!"

Kureno did as instructed, leaving no trace behind that he was ever in the room with Akito.

"I grow weary these days. Can this be a sign of a bad omen?"

* * *

Yuki was at his usual spot, idly gazing out at the front gate, catching glimpses of people every now and then. All of them looked so happy and carefree out there. It was a small feeling, but it was welling up slowly - building block after block. Soon enough it would become yearning. Yuki yearned. He wanted to go outside.

His brother, Akame, aside from the cat, was the only one allowed to live outside the mansion walls. Yuki was once free like that too, and now he longed to go back home, even if love were to never be showered his way. His mother had always favored his older brother over him, but now that he was a bit older he realized it didn't bother him too much.

Why did Akito not allow him outside? Why only let the others? Somehow, it all didn't seem fair.

At one time Hiro told him to go out if he wanted to. He made it sound so simple, and it made Yuki's stomach churn at the thought. Yes, if only it were that simple.

"I thought you'd be here." Yuki turned. "You're always sitting here. I can see you from my bedroom window, you know."

"Hiro."

"Why the long face?" Yuki then realized he was probably staring at the cast. "My arm's broken, big deal. It'll heal with time."

"Does it still hurt?" He found himself asking. He, himself, never broke a limb and thus, was not sure of how painful it can be.

"Nah, not really." Hiro looked out towards the gate. "You know, I always notice you staring out in that direction. Does the outside word intrigue you?" Before Yuki was even given the time to reply, Hiro plowed onward. It's a really big place. Easy to get lost and there are so many annoying things. Momiji is obviously more obnoxious when we're outside; he acts like a big baby and Kisa keeps mothering him. I can't stand it, you know."

"But it must be fun to go out beyond the gates."

"Then why not go outside, Yuki? On the days we are allowed out you never go. What's up with that?"

"Well . . ."

"Hey, Yuki?"

"Yes?"

"I might be a little kid and all, but don't think I don't know about the darker stuff. You see, Kisa and I are alike in this aspect. I'm just better at being secretive than she is."

Little did Hiro know she was far more keen than he was.

"Is . . . Is that so?"

"I can see the gigantic mark on your neck, Yuki." The gray-haired youth automatically placed one palm over it, face turning as red as a beet. "Akito doesn't hold back, does he?"

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious. If you live in this household and don't know Akito does sexual acts on you, then you're a useless idiot. Say, could this be why you never go outside when the rest of us do? He has sex with you in the meantime?"

"You don't have to say it so blatantly, Hiro!"

"Hey, I say it like I see it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm a kid and you don't see me getting all flustered or anything."

All this time Yuki was worried about being noticed, and like a crumbling tower, Hiro completely knocked it down with his words. Everyone knew, then?

"So strong . . ."

"Huh?"

"How can you be so strong at a time like this? Your arm's broken and Kisa's being punished for god knows what. And yet, yet you can still act like yourself."

"What are you talking about? I'm myself because it's who I am. Kisa wouldn't be happy if she saw me moping around over the fact that she's being punished. I'm not like Momiji; I won't bawl my eyes out. Not anymore."

"I see."

Yuki began to think Hiro had become stronger after the awful incident. At the time, he looked horribly broken down - dismembered. For him to recover from it so soon, it proved he was being very strong. He was shining brilliantly; Yuki wanted to reach out to it, if only to be able to feel the courage as well. He needed it.

"Sorry, did I get you burned? I didn't mean to sound so self-centered."

"Oh, no, no, it's not your fault! I . . . It's just . . . I was admiring you."

Yuki probably didn't realize it, but this was a side of Hiro anyone else seldom saw. There were very few select people here who could see all sides of the boy, and Yuki, being one of them, was considered a treasured person to Hiro (though he was never going to openly admit it).

"Akito tried to break me, body and soul. I knew it, too, and I tried my hardest to stay up and be accounted for. In the end, it all paid off. I'm only me as I am now because I realized something very important; something Akito will never take away from me no matter what he does."

Yuki stilled, eyes closing shut as he anticipated the other boy's words.

"He says we all belong to him, but how can one truly define the word 'belong'? It is a word that has many meanings, ranging from stark black to murky white. I have the mentality to believe I belong to no one, and what secures my heart to me is my own will and power. Akito won't destroy me. I'll never let him."

"That's some deep thoughts you're bringing up."

"I'm only telling you, okay? You're not so powerless as to not be able to be yourself, right, Yuki?" Yuki nodded, now feeling a new kind of pressure building within. "The curse is what connects us to Akito. He uses it as a manipulative tool to control us. We are bound by it, and until it can be broken we have to stay by his side.

"I was brought here when I was only three. Some of the other zodiac animals were already here before then; he wanted us rounded up simply for his own enjoyment. Sick, isn't it?"

"That can't be true, Hiro," Yuki found himself saying.

"He's a fucking psycho."

"As we suffer, so does he."

"Why are you defending him all of a sudden?"

"I'm by his side. He's by my side. His dark surges comes from something I don't think he'll admit, but I am sure of it."

"What the hell is it, then?"

"He's jealous of us."

Hiro scoffed, not quite believing Yuki's words. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"As we are bound to the curse, so is he. And--"

"You fucking little asshole!" Akito came from out of nowhere and lunged at Hiro. "Feeding lies to my precious little bird! You little shit! Like hell you know anything!" Both of his hands were now wrapped around the small boy's neck, tightly squeezing. "I'll make you eat your fucking words!"

"Akito, stop it! He'll die!"

"You stay out of this, Yuki! Saying I'm jealous of you dirty lot! You are as worse as them! You'll have your turn!"

Yuki continued to watch in stunned horror, seeing the life drain out of Hiro's eyes. He struggled for a few more seconds and then went limp, head lolling to one side. The rising and lowering of his chest ceased.

"Ahahahahaha!" Akito cackled at the top of his lungs. "Ahahahahahahaha!"

"Hiro! Oh my god, Hiro! Hi--"

"Shut the fuck up!" He received a sound slap across one cheek. "You stupid animals don't know what I go through! This gnawing pain constantly tearing at me! I thought you understood, Yuki! You, the cleverest of them all! Why have you betrayed me by telling this annoying leech unnecessary things! You shall be punished! PUNISHED, YOU HEAR, DAMMIT!"

* * *

Word of the incident traveled fast. All of the animals (excluding Kisa) were gathered into a small room. Laying before them was the small form of Hiro; he was as lifeless as a broken doll. No one could actually believe the sheep of the zodiac was dead.

"Look here, you fucking pieces of shit! He went ahead spouting nonsense and it seemed appropriate he be dealt with the penalty of death! If anyone else wishes to join him, then be my guest!"

This was too horrible of an act. Having killed the sheep altered the curse, and though Akito was feeling the effects full blast, he was not going to falter in front of the animals. One single dark line (not yet clearly showing on his skin) was beginning to form, starting from the tip of a toe all the way to his chest where his heart resided.

"I will always do as you command," someone spoke up. "You are our God. We must follow our God till the end."

It was Rin.

Momiji, sitting the farthest back, was gently sobbing, as he tried to make as little noise as possible. Hatsuharu, whom was sitting close by, patted him on the back, trying to comfort him. He knew Momiji usually hung out with Hiro and Kisa, and this was the hardest blow anyone could make upon the fragile rabbit. Without a doubt, Kisa was going to be just as terrorized as well.

"Just what I wanted to hear. You are a smart girl, Rin."

"Shall I inform Akame?" Hatori asked, slightly rising from his sitting position.

"No need. I shall do it personally."

"All right, Akito."

It was a bit puzzling why Akame was not living with the rest of them, but no one had the nerves to ask the reason.

"Next, Yuki will be punished. He was conspiring behind my back with the little despicable sheep." All heads turned to the rat. "Let it be known that he sleeps with me, shamelessly exposing himself like some slutty whore. Since he likes it in the rear so much, I'd like to present him with a little gift. You all must be watching as I administer the punishment, understand?"

Everyone nodded.

Yuki gulped, deathly afraid of what was to come.

"Kureno, bring me the required instrument!"

The rooster returned with a large dildo; Yuki eyed it warily, now knowing what Akito was going to do to him.

"He will have this plugged up his little ass until I deem it fit for him to have it removed. Get over here right now, Yuki."

Yuki moved forward, face heating up in shame.

"Pull down your pants. Turn your head this way and expose your ass to everyone."

Yuki obeyed, knowing the exact position he was to make. This was going to hurt terribly, and it made him want to cry. It only took a moment and then he could feel the large object sliding up his rectum, no lubrication provided. It burned painfully, but Yuki knew how to relax his muscles, so he did. Yet, even that could not completely dull the pain.

Some watched in mild fascination, while others watched with masked disgust. No one was enjoying the show except Akito himself.

"Good. Now keep that thing shoved up there until you need to go take a shit. This shall have you nice and raw in no time, Yuki, my pretty bird."

Chapter 10: END


	11. Chapter 11: Mistake

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: I truly did like writing about Hiro, but me deciding to kill him off . . . Well, all I can say is, "tis' sad". T__T He will be missed.

Story is getting more weird as I type it - you all have been warned. This is my writing style and honest to god, if people find it confusing, then so be it. It just proves I am a bad writer who can't get her messages across clearly within a story . . . My English teacher kind of warned me. m(_ _)m Said something along the lines of me not writing in a way which I would only understand, when I am actually writing it for others to read.

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 11: Mistake

Akito looked at his darkening feet, face contorting into that of a frown. They were hurting, but there wasn't much he could do until he received more medication. Where was Hatori when he needed him of all times?

The chiming of bells . . .

Kisa looked towards her bedroom door (for beyond it was where the sound was coming from), wondering what was going on. Usually, the bell wasn't rung unless something big was happening. Hatori, whom was beside her, also looked towards the direction of the sound.

"Is something important happening?" she asked.

Hatori hid behind a façade, making sure not to show the girl he was worried. However, retaining the truth from her seemed a bit too cruel, and yet, here he was, stumped at how he was going to tell her.

"Kisa . . ."

"Yes, Hatori?" She turned her attention back to him.

"There is something I should tell you . . ."

The door slid open, stopping Hatori from finishing what he was going to say. Kureno immediately looked to him, stating, "Akito wishes to you see, Hatori."

The doctor rose from his seat on the floor, momentarily nodding at Kisa before stepping out. Even as Hatori walked past Kureno, he remained where he was, simply standing there looking down at the child.

After a few moments. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Kisa was a bit taken aback. Usually Kureno never talked to her or the other zodiac animals much; most of the time he was hidden from view, doing things she knew not of.

"I'm fine." When she noted he wasn't leaving, she continued with, "does Akito have a message for me as well?"

"No . . . not at all. What Hatori was going to tell you," he shifted his gaze to one side, "I suppose I will finish for him." Kisa was about to say something, but Kureno beat her to it. "Hiro's dead."

The sound of the bell's ringing rung out around the vicinity once more and, this time, it was much more sharper to Kisa's ears. Her eyes grew wide with surprise at the sudden news, and then into that of complete shock.

"You weren't present at the meeting when it had been announced," he continued. "His funeral service is happening at this very moment. Rest assured that he will be properly buried."

"Why is . . . How come he's dead?"

Kureno sighed. "I'd rather not go into the details."

Kisa stilled, bowing her head. She wasn't going to cry - she knew better. Hiro knew better.

"All right."

"Now, if you'll excuse me--"

"Wait. Before you go, can I ask you one single question? Would it have been different if Hiro were alive and well now, to ensure Akito doesn't suffer any more than he has to?"

This was a very profound question, and Kureno realized he was at a loss for words. It was a little startling to notice Kisa knew much more than she appeared to be letting on. It could only mean she was present when Kyo departed - there is no mistaking it.

At last, "I would believe so," Kureno managed to form. "I'll keep watching over him."

* * *

"Yuki," there was knocking on his door, "may I come in?"

The gray-haired teen shifted positions on his futon, wincing at the pain emanating from his bottom - the dildo was still secured in place. At this very moment he couldn't possibly look at someone face to face, not even Akito himself.

The knocking became a little more insistent. "I know you're in there, Yuki. And maybe . . . you don't want to see anyone right now, but I want to talk to you. I won't mind if we do so just like this."

"No, you may come in . . ."

Momiji slid the door open and stepped in then, standing there momentarily to get himself adjusted to the darkness. He could see Yuki's form as he laid huddled on his futon - the memory of what Akito did to him came flooding back to the blonde, and in turn, this made him sad. Just as soon as he closed the door from the corner of his eye, he could see the other boy getting up.

"Yuki, are you okay?" He found himself looking down towards Yuki's lower half. "Is it . . ."

Yuki flushed a bright red, nearly not giving into the temptation to nod his head. He didn't know how he was going to live this down, even if Hiro had once before told him everyone knew he slept with Akito (as unlikely as it seemed). When in the midst of it, all seemed too hopeless to comprehend anymore. But more so than that, it was obvious Momiji was oblivious to what he and Akito had been doing till now.

Deciding to ignore what Momiji said completely, he countered it with, "so, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Um, about that . . . You were with Hiro right till the bitter end, weren't you? I had saw him going to the patio near the gate yesterday and that was the last time I saw him. You usually sit there . . ."

"Yeah, I was with him."

"_Akito, stop it! He'll die!"_

"He wasn't in too much pain, was he?"

(A lie.)

"No."

"Okay." Momiji breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. At least he'll be at a better place now. Thanks for telling me, and I guess you want to be alone so I'll leave. Although there's one last thing I'd like to say: it's probably a mistake, because we're all indebted to him and evidently, there's no point in hating someone like that."

Momiji left his words as is and went out, leaving Yuki inside his dark room . . . All alone once more.

Momiji broke out into a brisk walk as soon as he was able to, tears streaking down his face. It was true; there really isn't a just cause to hate someone he was indebted to. Akito is their god and it is only because of him they could live like this. If left alone in the outside world, people would consider them as freaks if they were ever found out they could turn into animals at the mere embrace of the opposite gender. Worse yet, it would be extremely hard to find someone to love . . . To understand you for what and who you are.

Hatori was lucky . . . But not lucky enough, it seems.

For one simple moment Momiji wondered if Hatori still stowed away her picture somewhere, hidden from Akito's reach. Perhaps.

Kureno, whom was watching the boy from behind the corner of a wall, was startled to hear someone else's voice behind him, when he was so totally engrossed at what he was doing.

"Doing errands for Akito, Kureno?" Shigure asked, lightly stepping beside the other man. "Or, are you . . ."

"Did you want something?" was the flat response.

"You told Kisa about Hiro, didn't you? Hatori suspected as such and wasn't sure, but I already know you would." Shigure brushed aside a strand of stray hair away from his face, at the same time asking, "how did she react? Is she all right?"

"She's fine. She's a lot stronger than you're crediting her for."

"That's besides the point; she tends to keep things to herself, you know?"

"Shigure . . . When she looked at me, I saw the same desperation Kyo had in his eyes when he had looked at me back then. She asked me something I almost couldn't answer. This overwhelming feeling . . ."

"It's all right," the dark-haired man smiled, "because Kyo doesn't hate you for what you did, I'm sure. You were acting according to how Akito wanted you to act, but somehow, he saw through you, didn't he?"

Kureno found it odd, for he suddenly had the urge to tell this man things he hadn't even admitted to himself. And yet, Shigure made it all sound so simple.

"To be free from Akito doesn't come without a cost. For Hiro, I suppose the means of it was through death, and in Akito granting him such a luxury, it cost him something in exchange as well."

Kureno looked away, unable to meet Shigure eye to eye. "He's going to die soon anyway."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. But would you want to speed up your own death sentence when you are trying so desperately to cling onto life itself, Kureno?"

". . . that was his own decision to make, whatever the circumstances were."

"Yes, his decision . . . Although I would like to say it was a mistake on his part."

"What gives you the motivation to be so cryptic?" was the sudden question.

Shigure shrugged. "I can say the same about you."

* * *

Hatori examined the feet at a closer range, not liking what he was seeing. The curse was speeding up its deteriorating process.

"How does it look?" Akito impatiently asked. "Don't just hunch over like that and gawk at them in silence."

"You'll need to increase your medicine intake. Ayame's help is going to be needed."

"I know that, Hatori. Why do you think I specifically said I would tell him about Hiro's death myself? I knew this was going to happen, but when I saw my pretty little bird talking to that stupid sheep, rage overtook me. I couldn't control it."

Then a suggestion propped up. "Would it be better if I erased his memories of this incident?"

"No. Don't. It's better if he remembers. Say . . . does she still haunt you in your memories, Hatori?"

"Not anymore."

"Heh, good. If you were going to say some sentimental crap right in front of me, I think I would have punched you."

"Well then," Hatori cleared away from the teen, "this is all I can do for you right now. I advise you to see Ayame soon, or else this is going to escalate further very quickly."

"I'll go see him tonight."

Hatori nodded, getting ready to rise.

"They must be gossiping about me, those fucking lowlifes." From the corner of his eye, Hatori could see Akito sneering. "You aren't as well, are you, Hatori?"

"No, of course not."

"Good. If I catch you in the act, you better be prepared to get punished."

"I understand."

Once Hatori had gone and left, Akito found himself longing to talk to someone he could truly confide in. A thin curl of his lips (representing a smile) showed on his face as he stared longingly out his bedroom window. It was much too bright and serene outside.

"Kureno."

No response, which in itself was a little odd. He always showed as soon as he was summoned, but why wasn't he appearing before him now?

"Kureno," he said a bit more urgently.

Still no response.

"Kureno!"

(WHERE THE FUCK IS HE!)

And then, "you called?"

Akito noted he sounded a tad bit breathless.

"Where the hell were you? You made me call for you three times . . . Very unlike you, Kureno. Suspiciously unlike you."

"I apologize . . . I was speaking with Shigure."

This immediately perked the boy's interest. "What were you two talking about?"

"About what you did . . ." His eyes moved into the line of sight of Akito's dark feet, a pained expression coming to his face. Akito recognized seeing it before, but never had it been directed at him. "Do they hurt?"

_Akito stared at him long and hard, not the least bit frightened or shy, like most kids who tended to act when around strangers. Kureno stared back at him, also looking the least bit unfazed._

"_Who are you?" was the arrogant tone._

"_I'm Kureno. I've come here to live with you."_

"_Hmph. Did my mommy say so?"_

"_Yes."_

"_This curse . . ." Akito could feel himself getting angry just thinking about it. "My mommy told me I'm going to die young because of some curse. She didn't even look worried."_

"_Does that bother you?"_

"_N-no! My mommy says it's not good to look sad, so I understand!"_

_Kureno turned his head to the side as his face contorted - a expression Akito could easily decipher as pain._

"_Why are you looking like that. There's nothing to be worried about, is there?"_

_Kureno turned back him, face returning to normal almost immediately. "No, there isn't. Akito, there will be others joining me very soon. They'll come here and live with you as well."_

"_Hmmm, more people? I feel this mansion is already too crowded."_

"_Given time I think you'll actually like it that there will be many of us. You see, you play a very important role, and it is useless of us to try and fight it. We won't win no matter what."_

"_I have no idea what you are talking about, but it's not like you don't already look weird anyway."_

_Kureno simply smiled and bridged the gap between them. "I'll be by your side always. I promised your mother, after all."_

"_If she thought sending me a playmate now is going to please me, she's dead wrong. I'll have you know now she might send me more of them."_

"_Yes, I know. The rest will come in due time."_

Chapter 11: END


	12. Chapter 12: Calamity

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: God, I was typing away at this like crazy when I finally found the time to. And not to mention when I finally got into the mood too, as well. XD Well, here's another helping of this tedious story. Hope you all enjoy . . .

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 12: Calamity

_**A single hole no bigger than his eye was all he could make out - it was the only spot where light was allowed to shine through. Other than this he could see nothing else but complete darkness.**_

_**Akito's laughter could be heard from the other side of the door as Kyo sat where he was, unable to do anything. He was imprisoned, and with nowhere to go, no other bodily contact, what was to become of him?**_

"_**Yes, hate the rat. He's the one who's put you into this predicament. Blame him for everything."**_

_**The rat who tricked the cat and made him miss the banquet.**_

Kyo awoke to the wafting aroma of steaming salmon. Tooru had her back turned to him, and she seemed to be stirring something inside a pot. She was also idly humming to herself, if only for the fact she was rather out of tune.

Kyo's eyes roamed around for a second or two before he stood up and stretched. Nothing was out of place or unsettling to say the least, but somehow he couldn't help but feel unsettled. Something was gnawing at him . . . Maybe he was just worried about what he had done in the forest.

(Would if be too late to go back there and find that piece of shit lying around somewhere?)

Despite Kyo wishing it weren't true, and yet it was a fact he still had ties to the Soumas . . . The name he was branded with since birth, and having the strange ability to transform into a creature was already considered non-human in itself. If given a chance to be reborn, he wanted to be a regular human boy, and nothing more.

"Finally awake, Kyo? You've been sleeping a lot lately, huh? Are you not feeling well?" Kyo heard Tooru say.

"Meow." (As if you understand anything I am saying.)

"Hungry?" she continued.

Kyo responded to her question by walking into the kitchen and sitting by his so called "kitty bowl", as Tooru liked to refer as.

"Well, your appetite seems to be fine, but I'd feel much better if I take you to see the vet, too. I wonder if Hana or maybe Arisa would like to go with me."

(That place is a waste of money. I don't have any health problems, and neither do I get sick easily. Calling it fun when a human sticks some sort of thermometer up my ass? Really, now.)

"Here you are." She kneeled, a bag of cat food in one hand and a can of cat food in the other. "Which would you prefer today, Kyo? Canned or dry food?"

Kyo raised one paw and placed it on top of the canned one. He didn't feel like doing too much chewing this morning. Not with the unwelcome dream disrupting him from his slumber. He could tell today was going to be another long boring day. What much can a cat do other than eat, lounge, and sleep?

However, were these peaceful days going to be over soon?

* * *

_**BAM.**_

_**Kyo immediately sat up, startled by the loud, crashing sound. Tooru's voice could be heard amidst the sudden confusion.**_

"_**What's going on!" she had exclaimed, eyes becoming frightening wide.**_

"_**Where's Kyo!" some said.**_

"_**Kyo? Do you mean my cat?" **_

_**Kyo froze at the sight of the three men suited in black; among them was someone who he could remember very clearly: Kureno. He stepped closer to him and knelt down, whispering something akin to the words of 'we've come to take you home'.**_

_**Kyo recoiled at the mere touch of cold fingers touching him. He wanted to run, kick, meow, do something as long as he was not taken away. In the end, it was all to no avail. Tooru's tear-streaked face imprinted into his mind . . . Everything became dark and still.**_

The loud humming of a vacuum vanquished the nightmarish dream from Kyo's mind, as he jumped with a start. Tooru probably didn't notice him laying underneath the coffee table, and had accidentally went too close to him for comfort. She let out a loud squeak though, upon seeing him spring away.

"I'm sorry, Kyo! I didn't see you down there! I didn't bump into you, did I!"

The machine was far too loud for Kyo's liking, seeing as his ears were much, much more sensitive from a human's. And he desperately wanted to get out of the apartment, if only to escape from the noise.

(At least you woke me up . . . again. Tooru.)

It didn't make sense as to why Kyo was having these dreams, and the unsettling feeling he sensed just would not go away. Would it be strange if someone suddenly showed up at Tooru's front doorstep and demand Kyo to go with them? Moreover, would it be stranger still, if Akito somehow found out about his whereabouts?

* * *

Akito bit at his lower lip, staring intently at his dark feet. It was excruciating now, the pain. The medication Hatori had been giving him as of late seemed to be getting less and less effective by the day. Was this the wrath cast upon him for killing the sheep? Surely. And yet he did not realize how much of a strain it would be for him.

"Akito," his bedroom door opened, "here's your medicine."

"This shit isn't helping anymore. We need to go see Akame. Now."

"Yes, Akito." Hatori bowed his head, knowing full well what Akito was thinking.

"Tell Kureno to tell the servants to prepare me a car. Better get me a wheelchair as well, because I am not walking an inch from here."

"I understand. However, if it would ease your pain a bit, I can administer some cooling balm."

"You do that," was the nonchalant response.

* * *

"Akame, you have some guests waiting for you at the foyer."

"All right, I'll be there shortly," he answered back. "Please show them to the entertainment quarter please, Rie."

"As you wish." She promptly disappeared from his view within a matter of seconds, quickly tending to the two guests.

Akame had an inkling feeling he knew who was visiting him today, for the air in his entire home seemed to stiffen. It was as if he was slowly suffocating from some invisible force unknown to him. He was about ready to go greet the guests when he accidentally crossed paths with his mother.

"Oh, Akame, are you going to see them now?" she asked, a slight frown coming to her face.

He tried his best to smile, almost wishing to not see his mother look ill-omened. "Yes, mother. Did you need something from me beforehand though?" She shook her head, instantly dispelling her foul composure. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go on about your business. However," her tone changed slightly, "do try asking about his well being if you can."

Akame nodded, knowing very well who she was referring to. If a bystander happened to hear this, one would surely think she was referring to the guest, but in actuality, she was referring to her other son, Yuki. Akame understood this.

By the time he had reached the entertainment quarter, he noticed right away the almost sickly expression on Akito's face. It piqued his interest, but he knew he didn't have the right to ask him about it. The atmosphere changed once more as well, feeling even more unyielding than before. As if with decisive precision, Akito began his speech . . .

"You must be wondering why Kureno and I are here, aren't you?" he said, watching the snake carefully.

"I suppose."

"This place reeks of dirt."

"I've been storing some in a closet nearby," was the casual response. "In fact, I should say I have some all throughout the house."

"I see. You must need it to regulate your body temperature?" Akame nodded. Akito suddenly switched gears then. It's a shame really, that you can't live with the rest of the animals back at my mansion."

"You've told me you find my venom revolting."

Eyes narrowing, Akito said, "within good reason."

Unbeknownst to Akame, it was irrefutably true that Akito found his venom unbearable, but it was because it was harmful. A toxin, after all, is a toxin, but Akame, being one of the zodiac animals only made his all the more worse. He was the only one allowed to live outside the Souma mansion, simply because prolonged exposure around him with Akito would cause the boy bodily harm.

However, in this point in time, it became apparent a small dose of Akame's venom was needed to make a more powerful drug to help sedate Akito's flaring pain in his feet (thus far). Whether Akito was willing to tell Akame the entire truth was a testament of how, or how he was not estranged to him.

Noticing Akito had fallen silent, Kureno stepped up to the plate. "I've brought a vial with me." He extended a hand, showing it to the silver-haired youth. "Please extract some of your venom."

For a moment Akame stared at the vial, as if stupefied, but then he looked up at Akito instead. Something akin to astonishment was playing itself out all over his face.

Kureno, as well, was becoming a bit agitated, and he also looked to Akito, seeking out direction. When none came his way he was at a loss. Why is Akito being so silent all of a sudden?

And yet, as if on purpose, Akito spoke not a breath's moment too late. "I killed the sheep."

The first thing that came to mind was, 'why?' Akame wished . . . No, yearned to ask it so badly, but feared being reprimanded so he held his tongue.

"Heh, aren't you burning to ask me why? Snake. Or rather you have it I tell you without your asking me first? Snake."

"Yuki was involved?"

"Most certainly."

A sharp jab to the chest. Even more questions began to torment at Akame.

"Is he all right?"

"Most definitely. I killed the fucking sheep because he was feeding bullshit to my pretty bird. I dislike trifling bullshit, and having caught them in the act, I became fit with rage. I could stand it no longer."

(Pretty bird? Akito refers to him as such?)

"Then . . . You want my venom to make a more powerful drug?" Akame remembered reading up about the curse before, and was somewhat aware of what Akito was going through. A sense of duty steadily began to rise. "I'll send more to you when I've had the proper time to do the extracting."

"I need some right now. I don't give a shit how you're going to extract it, but you better do it before I leave this dump."

Having been offended by the rude remark, Akame couldn't stop the retort that came tumbling out. "Not as much of a dump as your place would be, I presume."

Kureno quickly rose, restraining Akito as he tried to lash out at the other man. Akame stood his ground, not the least bit fazed or startled at the sudden attempted attack.

"Say that again and I'll rip your fucking esophagus out!" he spat vehemently. Sharp pain coursed through his feet, but he ignored it to the best of his capabilities.

Among all of this flurried energy, a small crowd of maids and men servant flocked near the end of the hall, wondering what was going on.

"It's no wonder you're an outcast of the rest! You're just as vile as the stupid cat! Know your place when you are subjected before me, animal!"

"Akame!" Kureno said, his tone tinged with the unspoken word, 'apologize'.

"I apologize, Akito. However, I'll say one more thing. Your heart is cold and bitter because you refuse to let love in, even though you are blindly followed by my little brother. I pity him for having to put up with someone like you on a daily basis. Now if you'll excuse me," he picked up the vial (which had fallen to the floor when Kureno had grabbed hold of Akito), "I'll be back with the venom shortly."

The maids and men servant scattered to either side of Akame, heads bowed, as he walked past them, not bothering to look anywhere else other than straight ahead. Oh, he was most definitely angry with Akito, at how he treats and talks to the zodiac animals. If only he was not subjugated by some unknown force to obey Akito's every whim, he would have loved to see the bastard writhe and wither at his very feet, dying from the one curse inflicted with true purpose.

His grip on the vial tightened.

* * *

"_**Hey, you awake?" The single hole with light beaming through became narrowed, being blocked by something or someone. "Kyo."**_

_**Kyo turned his head slightly, asking, "what the hell do you want?"**_

"_**I thought I'd pay you a visit."**_

"_**Akito's going to skin you alive if he finds out you came out here to see me."**_

"_**He won't find out."**_

_**This voice sounded vaguely familiar, and yet, Kyo could not put a name nor face to the said person. It belonged to that of a child, he knew, but who exactly?**_

"_**I've tried asking him to let you out, but he keeps saying no. He says you are tainted."**_

"_**He's right. I am tainted."**_

"_**I don't think so though."**_

"_**Go away now. Just leave me alone." Kyo turned back the other way, facing the wall. **_

"_**I'm sorry you're being locked in here. I think it's my fault, because as the story goes, the rat had gone and tricked the cat about the happenings of the banquet. It is a wrong and very greedy thing to do. Somehow, I think I want to repent."**_

"_**The day I leave this bloody hell is the day I am dead."**_

"_**Before then, don't give up hope. You'll get out of here before any of us . . . I'm sure of it."**_

Chapter 12: END


	13. Chapter 13: Silence

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They are the creation of the almighty, Takaya Natsuki.

A/N: For anybody that actually reads this story and gives a damn, here is the next chapter. Enjoy. Took me long enough though, right? FFXIII had me HOOKED. O_O

Peering In From the Outside  
Chapter 13: Silence

"Say, Haru, have you seen Kisa lately?" He shook his head, following it up with a shrug. "Is she still being punished?"

"I guess so. Are you implying you're worried about her, Rin?" was the nonchalant question. Rin did not answer and neither did Haru push her for one. "Akito's one fucked up sadist, is all I can say though."

"Careful." Rin eyed him warily. "He might overhear you."

"Nah, not likely. He doesn't come here to our quarters much. Kureno had told me Akito said were are the more well-behaved out of the bunch. Figures he'd say something like that, seeing as we find it boring to meddle in other's affairs anyway."

"True enough."

* * *

The patio Yuki once inhabited most of the time seemed less and less inviting these past few days. The dildo was removed, but his bottom was still quite sore from having it in for two to three days. However, these things were the least of his concerns - Kisa and Momiji prevailed above them all. How are they doing? Is Momiji all right? Has Kisa's punishment been lifted yet? He wondered.

He ran one hand against the hard mahogany flooring of the patio (Akito's favorite), noticing the coldness of it. It meant winter was soon approaching; evening air sifted in a much cooler breeze than usual. He raised his eyes, seeing a starless sky.

"Ah, how many days has it been since I've last seen everyone? Three, perhaps?"

Ka-chink . . .

"Hm?" Yuki looked back down . . . Towards his feet. "A orange cat?"

It meowed, but no sound came out. Yuki was sure it moved its mouth.

"Something the matter?" he asked the creature, now staring at it intently. "Are you lost?"

The orange cat looked up at him, meowing once more - still, no sound came forth. Then, as if the ground was shaking, Yuki felt himself swaying this way and that. He awoke with a start, gazing into the eyes of Ritsu. He blinked once, twice, then three times, before he realized he was still out on the patio . . . The sound of crickets was very loud to his ears.

"You fell asleep out here," Ritsu softly said, releasing his hold on the teen. "I thought I'd wake you up before someone else spotted you. It's not good to sleep outdoors; you can catch a cold."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize I had dozed off. Thanks for waking me up."

Ritsu backed away, almost cowering as he did so; Yuki didn't know what to make of it since he hardly ever saw the monkey . . .

"Is something . . . wrong?" he asked.

"No, not really. It's just that I can't believe Akito actually . . . You know . . ."

"Oh, uh . . . Yeah."

"But it's not like I don't like you because of it! Ritsu doesn't discriminate! I can't forgive myself if I do!"

Yuki smiled, thinking it was funny how Ritsu was trying to not offend him. He didn't know much about the monkey, since he hardly saw him, but being with him now was a nice change - a breath of fresh air, in a sense. However, Yuki could not hide that the fact that Ritsu was present - everyone was - when he was being humiliated. In short, what did Ritsu really think of it all?

"I've been thinking, Yuki, that you must be wondering about what happened earlier, right? You must be wondering what everyone thinks?"

"More or less." _No point in denying it anyway._

"I was shocked and for a moment I had wanted to run out of the room. But then I realized you and Akito shared that sort of relationship. But, to me, it meant he must have treasured you more than he did the rest of us. I've always dreamed of Akito seeing me in such a tender light, just to the point where he could be so--"

"Being with Akito isn't all fun and games, Ritsu. He showed my disgusting side to everyone."

"Even so . . ." Ritsu took on an ashamed expression then, brows furrowing. "Ah, never mind. I'm sorry. I didn't meant to offend you."

"No, it's okay. I just thought it'd be better off to tell you the truth rather than lie, you know?"

"No, no, it really is my fault . . ." Ritsu rose, swiftly turning away. "I'd better get back to my room. Shigure's going to worry if he doesn't see me in there soon."

_Shigure?_

This time he voiced it. "Shigure?"

"I usually only spend time with Shigure . . . Since he's the only one willing to put up with me." Upon him saying this, Yuki noted Ritsu was getting teary-eyed. "He's the only one who doesn't get mad when I make a mistake."

"Is that so."

"I really must get going! It was a great pleasure talking with you!"

He dashed off before Yuki could even reply with a heartfelt thanks himself. Shrugging it off, Yuki stood up as well, only to see the cat again from the corner of his eye. He turned, but it had probably disappeared, because he saw nothing.

"I must be imagining things . . ." he muttered.

"_**Kyo!"**_

It suddenly came to him (echoing all around) and a overwhelming feeling of pain washed over his entire being. Yet, just as he thought he was about to scream due to the pain, it dissipated. Confused, he looked around, as if searching for something.

_What the hell was that? Who was that girl's voice I heard?_

Not wanting to think too much of it, Yuki distilled the thoughts from his mind and headed in to his own room. Once there, he laid down to rest, closing his eyes as he dreamed the night away.

* * *

While everyone snuggled under their blankets and sought the comfort of a dark, quiet night, Kisa was up and awake . . . staring at the moon from her bedroom window. The words Kureno had spoken to her about earlier were still fresh in her mind, repeating themselves over and over.

"_Hiro's dead."_

"_I'd rather not go into the details."_

"_I would believe so . . ." _

"_I'll keep watching over him."_

She balled her fists as she fought back the urge to cry. It was really sinking in now - Hiro was gone - there was no way he was going to come back. Death is a very fickle thing. And Kisa knew it as so, but despite all the time she tried to swallow it down, to dampen the pain, it wasn't working. One single tear drop hit the tatami covered floor . . .

"No . . ." Kisa muttered, as she noted her eyes becoming fogged with liquid. "No. Don't . . ."

But she couldn't stop it . . . she couldn't stop the now tumbling torrent pooling from her eyes. She cried all the harder upon apprehending the fact that she told herself she wasn't going to cry. For an instant, Kisa felt Hiro was standing there before her, clucking his tongue in dismay.

So for the rest of the night, Kisa laid where she was, mourning for Hiro, a friend, companion, but most of all, her savior.

Hence, the morning sunlight proved to be rather painful when Kisa awoke and stretched her achy limbs. She cowered away from it as she sat up, blinking a couple of times. It didn't come to her hearing senses right away, but she soon picked up the sounds of footsteps - someone was approaching her quarter.

"Are you awake, Kisa?" he called from the other side of her screen door.

"Yes."

"I'm coming in then. I've brought you your breakfast," he said. "Today is your final day of punishment."

"I know," she replied. "But it doesn't make me feel happy inside; instead, I feel empty."

"What makes you say that?" Hatori moved closer to the girl and placed the tray he was holding down.

"I hadn't meant to cry, but . . . I couldn't stop them from falling. I hadn't meant to at all."

"Kisa, it's not a crime to mourn for someone you care about who's now gone. In fact, it's better if you let it all out; bottling everything inside will only torture you further."

"This only goes to show that I am weak. Akito would laugh if he saw me now. Hiro would have done the same thing if he could see me."

Hatori pondered for a second, thinking of what to say to counteract her negativity, but he found he could come up with nothing. Her words held a depth of truth to them even he himself couldn't deny. Rather than make the poor child pool out more of her suppressed emotions, he felt it was best he left her alone. Moreover, he had to go meet with Akito soon as well.

"If that's what you truly believe, then there's nothing I can say to you. Just, remember you aren't the only one here who's unhappy. But believe me, we'll all find happiness one day. It seems to lack definite meaning if I repeat it, but it also doesn't hurt to say it again either."

Kisa simply nodded, silently stating she had acknowledged what Hatori had said.

"Now if you'll excuse me . . ."

"Come back later?" She sounded a tad bit hopeful.

Hatori smiled slightly. "Of course."

Kisa began to eat her now cold food in silence, savoring each bite with great consideration of the tastes swirling around inside her mouth. It had only been a week since she's eaten something decent, and it was truly amazing at how she could be so entranced with such simple dishes. Something broke her out of her reverie though when she turned her head to the side.

A orange cat walked towards her, its eyes fixated on her food. She smiled, not really caring how the creature got in here and nor did she care to know why. However, just as it looked like the cat was about to be in arm's reach it suddenly disappeared. Surprised, Kisa blinked, once, no, twice, before she gazed around the room - it was gone.

"An illusion?" she pondered.

* * *

"Haru, it's going to happen."

"You sense it?" He stood, going towards Rin. "How soon?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "I'm not sure, but I know it is definitely going to happen."

"You seem pretty shaken; is it going to be that bad of a scenario?"

From what Haru figured, Rin seemed perfectly fine merely seconds ago. No one, not even Akito knew about this, but Rin had an acute sense for things that held a great ominous sign. What belied her quiet demeanor was the fact that she didn't want to stir up any trouble by saying anything unnecessary. The only other being alive who knew of her secret was Hatsuharu, and she was making sure it was only going to be him who knew.

"Given how Akito is, nothing is too overly dramatic."

Haru gave her a smug smirk at that and said nothing further.

* * *

"I'm administering the venom now, so hold still." Upon him saying this, Akito deliberately shifted a bit. Hatori eyed him, saying, "don't move. Unless you want me to miss."

"Would it matter if you did?" the unruly teen countered, sniggering.

"Yes, it would. I'm trying to help you, Akito."

"Everyone says that, but what can I truly consider as help? Ah, I know, how about you lift this curse? That'd be something I'd consider real help."

"You know I can't do that."

"Hahaha, of course not! Do you think I enjoy living life like this day by day? Can you understand the amount of pain I have to go through every fucking day? The torture? The darkness? Do you think I deserve this?"

"No." Hatori wanted to say something else, but there was nothing else he could say. "I don't."

"Did you know, my mother told me her grandfather suffered the same fate? And did you know what happened to him afterwards . . .?"

"_Stop it!"_

"_I can't. This is his decision."_

"_So you're going to let him die! Do something!"_

_She was in a panic, frantic at the thought of losing her grandfather. She was a petite girl, with large oval shaped eyes and long dark tresses. That day, Hatori saw the tears spilling down her cheeks unconditionally, and her mouth agape with the screams of agony._

_Lying in his own pool of blood was her grandfather, his eyes open and lifeless as he stared back at them. There was no sense of remorse nor regret in his voice when he told Hatori this:_

"_This is the curse of our family. Come time, her child, too, will bear witness to the curse. This is the way of our family, and nothing will be changed. Me, as a aging old man has seen enough of the world, and have been gifted the burden of a small humanity. Listen well, for each new successor of the curse, and you, as the current doctor, make sure to take care of the chosen one. It is your duty."_

"He killed himself, I know," was the reply. "I was there."

"Then do you think I might do the same? Kill myself?" Akito asked.

"If that were your decision, I wouldn't be able to stop you."

"Is that right? So you're going to let the same thing repeat itself without doing a thing? Fucking coward."

"It is not in my right to intervene with the head household, only give help when it is needed by the others or asked of me to."

"Lapdog."

"Call me what you want, but I am only doing my duty as your doctor."

"Ah, that's right, tell my pretty bird to come in here. It's been a while since I've last seen him. Go. Fetch him."

"Let me finish up first; it won't be long now." Hatori was down to the last vial and knew if he didn't go back to Akame's place to get more, Akito would be without painkillers. "You're also running low on the venom. Shall I go and get some more?"

"No, I'll send someone else."

Chapter 13: END


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